Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeOral Health & HygieneTooth Traditions from Around the World: It's Not Just the Tooth Fairy!

Tooth Traditions from Around the World: It’s Not Just the Tooth Fairy!

Being the youngest child of seven, I’m not sure I really had a chance to believe in the tooth fairy. By the time I started losing my teeth, I think my parents had gone through this process so many times before that they simply gave me money for my lost tooth and then put my tooth in an old 35 mm film canister. I’m not sure what became of that little container of my baby teeth…

Tooth Fairy: Traditions Around the WorldDr. Rosemary Wells, the curator of the Tooth Fairy Museum (yes, it really exists!) in Deerfield, Illinois has stated that the tooth fairy is only known to exist in the United States and in countries with a similar ethnic background.  This made me wonder what exactly happens all over the world when little boys and girls lose their teeth.

After reading some books, I was able to find out that there are several twists on the tooth fairy that include feeding your teeth to dogs, throwing your tooth to the sun or on the roof, and summoning the help of a variety of animals to ensure that your permanent tooth will grow in properly.

Here are some other interesting tooth traditions from around the world arranged in alphabetical order for your reading pleasure.

Afghanistan

Kids in Afghanistan throw their teeth in a mouse or rat hole.  They want the rodent to give them a nice, strong tooth like the ones they have.

American Indian Tribes

TLost Baby Teethhe parents of children in the Chippewa tribe use charcoal to make the lost tooth turn black and then throw it to the west while asking the child’s grandma to help the permanent tooth to grow in strong.

The Cherokee Indian children would run around the house with the lost tooth and then throw it on the roof while reciting this phrase four times: “Beaver, put a new tooth in my jaw!”

Navajo Indian children take their tooth to the southeast, away from their house. They bury the tooth on the east side (the east is associated with childhood) of a sagebrush, rabbitbrush, or pinyon tree.

Teton Indian children bury their tooth in the dirt at the entrance to the lodge. Anyone who walks over the spot where the tooth is buried is said to grow a new tooth.

Shuswap and Yupik Indian kids mix their lost tooth in with some meat and then feed the mixture to a dog while saying, “Make my teeth strong.”

The Dene Yellowknives have their mother or grandmother take their lost tooth, put it in a tree, and then have their family dance around the tree. This makes it so that their new tooth comes in straight as a tree.

Howling Hyena Tooth Fairy
Kids in Ancient Abyssinia threw their teeth to a howling hyena.

Ancient Abyssinia

Children used to throw their lost tooth to a howling hyena, asking the hyena for strong teeth.

Argentina

Children in Argentina put their tooth in a glass of water.  During the night El Ratoncito, a little mouse, will drink the water, take the tooth, and then leave some coins or candy in the empty glass.

Australia

Children in Australia put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come give them money in exchange for their tooth.

Botswana

Children in Botswana throw their tooth on the roof and then ask the moon to bring them a new tooth.

Brazilian Tooth Fairy: Birds
Brazilian kids throw their tooth out the window.  It’s for the birds!

Brazil

Some children in Brazil throw their tooth outside and ask the birds to take it and bring them another one.  The birds will only take the tooth if it doesn’t have any cavities!  Other children throw their tooth out of their window and onto the roof while asking Saint John to take it and bring them a healthy new tooth.

China

Chinese kids put their upper teeth at the foot of their beds and put their lower teeth on the roof.  It is hoped that this will make their permanent teeth grow in faster.

Colombia

Colombian children put their tooth under their pillow.  A mouse named El Ratón Miguelito takes their tooth and gives them money.

Denmark

Danish children put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come give them some money.

Egyptian Tooth Fairy Sun
Kids in Egypt Throw their teeth at the sun

Egypt

Egyptian children wrap their teeth in a tissue and take it outside.  They throw their tooth at the sun, asking the son to take their buffalo tooth and give them a bride’s tooth.  This is similar to most children in middle-eastern countries, who throw their tooth at the sun, hoping that it will give them back a tooth to make their smile brighter!

El Salvador

Children in El Salvador put their teeth under their pillow.  At night, a rabbit comes and takes their tooth, leaving behind money.

England

In England, kids put their tooth under their pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to come and leave money.

Mice Give Children Their Permanent Teeth in Some Cultures
A mouse, not a fairy, takes a way French children’s teeth.

France

French children put their teeth under their pillows.  At night le petite souris, a mouse, will take away their tooth and leave a gift.

Greece

Children in Greece throw their teeth on the roof for good luck.  Then they make a wish that their adult teeth will be healthy and strong.

Guatemala

Children in Guatemala put their tooth under their pillow and wait for a mouse to take their tooth away and leave them some money.

Haiti

Children in Haiti throw their tooth on the roof and ask a rat to give them a good tooth in return for their old baby tooth.

Children Throw Their Tooth on the Roof
Kids in India throw their teeth onto their roof.

India

Some kids in India throw their tooth on the roof and ask a sparrow to bring them a new tooth.  Other children in India throw their tooth at the sun, hoping for a bright adult tooth in return.

Indonesia

Indonesian children throw their tooth backwards over their shoulder and over the roof of their house.  If they throw the tooth straight, their permanent tooth will grow in straight.  If they throw it crooked, they will have crooked teeth.

Jamaica

Jamaican children believe that when their tooth comes out, a Calf will come to take them and their tooth away.  To keep the calf at bay, the children will put their tooth in a tin can and shake it so that it scares the calf.

Japan

Children in Japan throw their upper teeth in the dirt and their lower teeth on the roof.  The thought behind this is that their new teeth will grow in straight as they grow toward their old teeth.

Korea

Children in Korea throw their tooth on the roof of their house and sing, “Blackbird, blackbird, my old tooth I give to you.  Bring me a new tooth.”

Lithuania

Lithuanian children keep their teeth as a souvenir.

Malaysia

Malaysian kids bury their lost baby tooth in the ground.  They believe that since the tooth was part of their body, it should be returned to the earth.

Nepal Tooth Fairy Birds
Kids in Nepal are careful to not let a bird eat their lost tooth

Nepal

Children in Nepal are very protective of their lost tooth.  They believe that if a bird sees or eats their tooth, then a new one won’t grow in.  Their goal is to bury their tooth so that it won’t ever be seen or found and eaten by a bird.

Nigeria

Children in Nigeria have an interesting tradition.  If you’re a boy, you hold your tooth and eight stones in your fist.  Girls hold six stones and their tooth in their fist.  The child then closes their eyes, states their name, and counts to the number in the fist.  They then say, “Oh, I want my tooth back!” Next, they throw everything in their fist up in the air and run away as fast as they can.

Pakistani children throw their tooth into a river at sunset
Pakistani children throw their tooth into a river at sunset

Pakistan

Kids in Pakistan wrap their lost tooth in cotton then throw their tooth in a nearby river at sunset for good luck.

Philippines

Children in the Philippines hide their lost tooth and make a wish.  If they are able to find their teeth after one year, then they can make another wish.

Russia

Children in Russia put their lost teeth in mouse holes in the hope that the mouse will give them a strong tooth as a replacement.

Spain

Spanish children put their teeth under the pillow.  A little mouse named Ratoncito Perez will take away their tooth in exchange for money or candy.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, Squirrels Take Away Teeth
Kids in Sri Lanka ask squirrels for a new tooth.

Sri Lankan kids stand outside of their house, close their eyes and say, “Squirrel, Squirrel, take this tooth and give me a new one.”  Then they throw their tooth on the roof and go back into their house.  Then they open their eyes.

Sweden

Swedish children put their tooth in a glass of water.  In the morning a coin mysteriously takes the place of the tooth in the glass of water.

Taiwan

Children in Taiwan throw their teeth on the roof.

Tajikistan

Children in Tajikistan plant their teeth in the ground, hoping that the tooth will grow into a warrior.

Turkey

The parents of children in Turkey believe that their child’s lost tooth holds within it their future.   If they want their child to become a great soccer player, they will bury the tooth in a soccer field.  If they wanted their child to go to dental school (what kind of parent would?!) then they would bury the child’s tooth around a dental school.

American Tooth Fairy
Our beloved American tooth fairy

United States

Children in the United States put their lost teeth under their pillow at night.  The tooth fairy comes and takes their tooth away and usually leaves a small amount of money under the child’s pillow in exchange for the tooth.

Sources

I obtained information for this article from a variety of sources, including:

Any Other Lost Tooth Traditions?

What about you?  Do you do something different than what was mentioned above?  If so, please leave a comment in the comments section below — I’d love to hear about your lost tooth traditions.

RELATED ARTICLES

14 COMMENTS

  1. this is great. I was looking for some infomation about these traditions just for fun. thank you for the well detailed article

  2. The Jamaican tooth ritual is not accurate. We go outside, throw our tooth on the roof and ask for a new tooth from rata rata rat

    • Good glad someone else pointed out the error also. I was just about to say that Jamaican one is wrong! I have never heard of that before ever. We definetly throw it on the roof top saying “Ratta,Ratta take this old tooth and give me a new one.

    • Interesting. We also do the same in the Philippines. Kids go outside, throw the baby tooth on the roof and ask a mouse to replace the tooth.

  3. I am so excited to learn more about other countries.
    Great article.

    Please update the info on Jamaica.
    Maybe not delete what you have but add the other details.
    This was the main reason for me looking into the artcle to show friends about our tradition.

    Ratta Ratta take my old tooth and bring me a new one.
    Thank you

  4. Apparently Thailand has the same tradition of throwing the tooth on the roof so that a spirit will take it and allow the new tooth to grow in quickly.

  5. Turkish tradition is not right. They do these with umbilical cord, not tooth. They throw their tooth on top of a roof.

  6. I wonder, where did the idea of throwing the tooth on top of the roof originally come from? It’s a common practice among countries.

    When I was a kid, when I lost my baby tooth, I threw on top of the roof and asked a mouse to replace my tooth. Based on the list above, kids in Haiti call on a rat/mouse too. 🙂

  7. The tradition in my family was to put the tooth in an egg cup, add water and salt and in the morning there would be a coin from the fairy. I saw the tradition about water, but not about saltwater. My heritage is Canadian, ancestors from Newfoundland, Ireland, England, and one great great grandmother from England had Sephardic Jewish heritage from Spain. I would like to know where the saltwater tradition came from. I think the egg cup was just convenience of size.

Leave a Reply to Maria Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments

Preston Essic on Dental Patient Rights
Rich Valentino on Dental Patient Rights
Thandolwethu on Teething Baby Pictures
Erin Knutson on Ten Causes of Canker Sores
Kirstie Feyerabend on Can You Keep Your Extracted Teeth?
Robert McKnight on Colored Fillings
Queen Kay (AKA Kaleigh) on 60 Photos of Teenagers with Braces
Carolina on Do Braces Hurt?
Onelesstoothtocompletemysmilebonescollection on Can You Keep Your Extracted Teeth?
Marianne Sites on Colored Fillings
lulu on Do Braces Hurt?
David Abarientos on How Long Does Teething Last?
Shouganai on Colored Fillings
Benjamin Greene on Dental Patient Rights
Laura elliott on Teething Baby Pictures
David Plaster on Ten Causes of Canker Sores
any intelligent mind. on Seven Ways Meth Ruins Your Teeth
Maria on Do Braces Hurt?
Karina on Do Braces Hurt?
Collette hunt on Ten Causes of Canker Sores
Megan on Do Braces Hurt?
A Person (I wish to remain anonymous) on Can You Keep Your Extracted Teeth?
Alison M. on Do Braces Hurt?
Mandarinboop on Do Braces Hurt?
kaito on Do Braces Hurt?
kaito on Do Braces Hurt?
Fidel Márquez Avilés, DDS, MSD on A Trip to The National Museum of Dentistry
Imogen on Do Braces Hurt?
14 year old teenager on 60 Photos of Teenagers with Braces
Dr. Todd Donnelly, D.D.s on What’s In an Amalgam Filling?
Rayna on Do Braces Hurt?
Sarah Kollmansberger on Why Your Dentist Can’t Get You Numb
Ana Howard on Do Braces Hurt?
Ana Howard on Do Braces Hurt?
estrella.reyes on Do Braces Hurt?
Mr. Unidentified Internet creature #3.14159265359 on Seven Ways Meth Ruins Your Teeth
Aisha on Do Braces Hurt?
Charlotte Creasy on How Long Does Teething Last?
Liza on Do Braces Hurt?
Maylin on Do Braces Hurt?
Stella on Do Braces Hurt?
Jim Bon - Muhammad on Six Reasons Why Your Crown Fell Off
Michelle on Colored Fillings
Floyd Mayweather on Seven Ways Meth Ruins Your Teeth
Abigail Rose Mounteney on Do Braces Hurt?
30 years of ice chewing on How Chewing Ice Cubes Hurts Your Teeth
Shawn on Do Braces Hurt?
Jess on Do Braces Hurt?
Jess on Do Braces Hurt?
Rebekah on Do Braces Hurt?
Coooooookie on Do Braces Hurt?
Sydney on Do Braces Hurt?
Sydney on Do Braces Hurt?
Francisco Mayorga on What’s In an Amalgam Filling?
Natasha on Do Braces Hurt?
kahalia on Do Braces Hurt?
nicole on Do Braces Hurt?
Mirah on Do Braces Hurt?
Adesola Adebayo on Double Tooth Photos
kathleen on Do Braces Hurt?
Winny on Do Braces Hurt?
Summer on Do Braces Hurt?
Need a Dental Expert Report on How to Really Win a Dental Malpractice Lawsuit
star on Do Braces Hurt?
star on Do Braces Hurt?
Brandon on Do Braces Hurt?
Joselyn on Do Braces Hurt?
Grace on Do Braces Hurt?
Kimberly on Do Braces Hurt?
Bobbo Jones on Privacy Policy
Alana on Do Braces Hurt?
Sarah on Do Braces Hurt?
Neha on Do Braces Hurt?
Neha on Do Braces Hurt?
Cansas on Do Braces Hurt?
Misha on Do Braces Hurt?
Suppp on Do Braces Hurt?
Sophie on Do Braces Hurt?
Nicky on Do Braces Hurt?
Destiny on Do Braces Hurt?
Destiny on Do Braces Hurt?
Jaine on Do Braces Hurt?
Sophi on Do Braces Hurt?
Monique on Do Braces Hurt?
Ivan on Do Braces Hurt?
Ivan on Do Braces Hurt?
Jaclyn:))) on Do Braces Hurt?
Helena on Do Braces Hurt?
Helena on Do Braces Hurt?
Caitlin on Do Braces Hurt?
Sanah on Do Braces Hurt?
Sanah on Do Braces Hurt?
Sanah on Do Braces Hurt?
Janine Holder on Do Braces Hurt?
Julie on Do Braces Hurt?
Syaza on Do Braces Hurt?
Syaza on Do Braces Hurt?
Chris on Do Braces Hurt?
Torii on Do Braces Hurt?
jesse on Do Braces Hurt?
Kool on Do Braces Hurt?
Bree on Do Braces Hurt?
Sheep on Do Braces Hurt?
Savannah on Do Braces Hurt?
Taije on Do Braces Hurt?
Taije on Do Braces Hurt?
Taije on Do Braces Hurt?
Taije on Do Braces Hurt?
Beauty (NOT a Beast) on Is Sparkling Water Bad For Your Teeth?
Geckonator on Do Braces Hurt?
nichole on Do Braces Hurt?
Yolie on Do Braces Hurt?
Teeth? on Do Braces Hurt?
susan on Do Braces Hurt?
Alexis on Do Braces Hurt?
ScaredGirl on Do Braces Hurt?
Josephine Wadlow-Evans on Dental Suction: Why Dentists Use a Suction
Rayeed on Do Braces Hurt?
Mary on Do Braces Hurt?
Jazlynn on Do Braces Hurt?
Happy after all on Do Braces Hurt?
CHughey on Do Braces Hurt?
Rachel on Do Braces Hurt?
A Peer-Review Dentists Wife on An Alternative to Suing Your Dentist: Peer Review
maddy on Do Braces Hurt?
shahd on Do Braces Hurt?
shahd on Do Braces Hurt?
Hermionefan on Do Braces Hurt?
ashika on Why Teeth Hurt
Sally on Do Braces Hurt?
Kelli on Do Braces Hurt?
Brittani on Do Braces Hurt?
NewDew on Do Braces Hurt?
Samantha on Do Braces Hurt?
Samantha on Do Braces Hurt?
Samantha on Do Braces Hurt?
Maddy on Do Braces Hurt?
Marikit on Do Braces Hurt?
sarah on Why Teeth Hurt
Piccoloplayeratrhs on Do Braces Hurt?
Rosemary on Do Braces Hurt?
shannon santiago on Teething Baby Pictures
Fhyzzie Lee on Do Braces Hurt?
Fhyzzie Lee on Do Braces Hurt?
Hadya on Do Braces Hurt?
Hadya on Do Braces Hurt?
Alan on Do Braces Hurt?
blowfish on Do Braces Hurt?
Caitlin on Do Braces Hurt?
bvb lover on Do Braces Hurt?
Vincent on Do Braces Hurt?
dimple on Do Braces Hurt?
Dee dee on Do Braces Hurt?
samantha on Do Braces Hurt?
julie martinelli on How Long Does Teething Last?
Grace Vlahovic on How Long Does Teething Last?
sammie on Do Braces Hurt?
Iris on Do Braces Hurt?
Melody on Do Braces Hurt?
Sadie on Do Braces Hurt?
Maria on Do Braces Hurt?
Sadie on Do Braces Hurt?
Sydd :D on Do Braces Hurt?
laura on Do Braces Hurt?
Stef on Do Braces Hurt?
Stef on Do Braces Hurt?
Harmony on Do Braces Hurt?
Harmony on Do Braces Hurt?
harmony wheeler-11 on Do Braces Hurt?
harmony wheeler-11 on Do Braces Hurt?
Delaney on Do Braces Hurt?
Delaney on Do Braces Hurt?
Dora Wagner-Gluck on Teething Baby Pictures
Beth on Do Braces Hurt?
Delaney on Do Braces Hurt?
christa on Do Braces Hurt?
Hayley on Do Braces Hurt?
beth on Do Braces Hurt?
beth on Do Braces Hurt?
Vanessa on Do Braces Hurt?
Cassidy on Do Braces Hurt?
Corrinne on Do Braces Hurt?
beth on Do Braces Hurt?
Rachael on Do Braces Hurt?
Jonathan Bird on Is Water Fluoridation Legal?
Corrinne on Do Braces Hurt?
Jennifer on Do Braces Hurt?
mjhrusovsky on Why Teeth Hurt
Chels[: on Do Braces Hurt?
Kera on Do Braces Hurt?
Charlene on Do Braces Hurt?
frankieecool on Do Braces Hurt?
banana lover on Do Braces Hurt?
Kera on Do Braces Hurt?
Kera on Do Braces Hurt?
Jennifer Uriarte on What are Tartar and Calculus?
Bony Delicious on Dental School Finals Week