The tooth fairy is a fictional spirit said to give children a small amount of money in exchange for a tooth when it falls out of the deciduous dentition.

The Tooth Fairy is an example of folklore mythology which adults know is fiction, but which is sometimes presented to children as fact. Another prominent example is Santa Claus. The realization or discovery that such stories are false is considered a part of the child's growing up. Such realizations can also cause significant emotional pain in some children due to feelings of betrayal, while other children regard it as a small matter. Many adults remember clearly for their whole lives when and how they discovered the truth.

Many families participate in the roles of this myth even when the children are also aware of the fictionality of the supposed supernatural entity, as a form of play or tradition.

This tradition is present in several western cultures under different names, for example in Spanish-speaking countries, this character is called ratoncito Pérez, a little mouse with a common surname.

Typically, upon losing a tooth the child places the tooth under their pillow before going to sleep. In the morning they find a coin (or possibly a small bill) in the place of the tooth. In reality this is done by the child's parents or guardians.

The primary useful purpose of this myth is probably to give the child a small reward and something to look forward to when they lose a tooth, a process which the child might otherwise find worrisome. Also, it gives children a reason to give up a part of themselves that they may have grown attached to.

Secondary useful purposes include giving a child a sense of faith in things unseen, believing in the incorporeal, helping them understand the difference between the real and the imaginary, helping them understand that sometimes even people they love will lie to them, that lies can comfort as well as hurt, and many other semi-religious reasons.

See also

• Tooth Fairy Rule
• The Fairly OddParents
• List of deities
• Discworld characters

External link

• Straight Dope Staff Report: What's the origin of the tooth fairy?