Is the Tooth Fairy made-up?
Yes, the Tooth Fairy is made-up. We’re not saying she’s absolutely not real—we’re just saying there’s no scientific proof of her existence. Even if she’s not real in a literal sense, she has certainly touched the hearts of the many children who believe in her!
The Tooth Fairy originated in 1908 in the Chicago Daily Tribune. Though myths about teeth have abounded for centuries, the Tooth Fairy herself seems to have originated in a “Household Hints” item in the Tribune by Lillian Brown. Brown claimed that children who know about the existence of a Tooth Fairy who will take their tooth away in the night and replace it with a gift would be much more willing to lose a tooth or let it be removed. The myth of the Tooth Fairy likely stems from other tooth-related myths of the Middle Ages. For instance: In England, children were required to burn their baby teeth after they fell out, or else they would spend eternity searching for their baby teeth in the afterlife. In medieval Europe, it was thought that if a witch got ahold of one of your teeth, they could assume total control over you.
The Tooth Fairy Myth’s Effect on Child Development
Belief in the Tooth Fairy may offer children comfort. Losing a tooth can be scary for some kids, especially if they’ve never lost one before. Research suggests believing in a fairy may console a child who is afraid or in pain due to the loss of their tooth. Thanks to the Tooth Fairy, children who are afraid to lose a tooth or who lose a tooth in a painful manner may remember the experience less traumatically or even fondly.
Believing in the Tooth Fairy may make kids take better care of their teeth. Some parents tell their children the Tooth Fairy pays more for healthy teeth, encouraging them to floss and brush regularly. The Tooth Fairy may be seen as a helpful mascot promoting a mission of proper dental hygiene.
It may also make children more prone to false memories. One study discovered that children who fervently believed in the Tooth Fairy were more likely to misremember their experiences and to attribute more fantasy and supernatural phenomena to them than there were. Comparatively, children who didn’t believe in the fairy recalled their memories in mainly realistic terms.
How long do kids believe in the Tooth Fairy?
Kids typically stop believing in the Tooth Fairy around age 5. One study that interviewed children found that they mostly stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus when they got to the age of 5 or so. This may be because it’s around that age that kids gain the cognitive ability to question the “evidence” their parents give them of these mythical characters’ existence. However, it may also be that parents simply stop trying as hard to maintain the illusion of the Tooth Fairy once their kids reach the age of 5 or 6, making it easier for the kids to figure out the truth. Curiously, adults interviewed for the same study reported believing in the Tooth Fairy and Santa for longer—until they were almost 9 years old. (But it’s possible they wanted to believe they believed for longer than they really did.)
How do I answer my child’s questions about the Tooth Fairy?
Try to determine if they want the truth, or if they want to keep believing. Some children will pose questions, but they don’t want the real answer. Instead, they may want your reassurance that the Tooth Fairy does, indeed, exist. You can determine whether they want the truth in a few ways: Ask a probing question back to get a sense of what they’re really asking. For instance, if they ask point-blank if the Tooth Fairy is real, say, “What do you think?” or “Why do you ask?” Consider their age. If they’re still in preschool, they may have heard a rumor the Tooth Fairy isn’t real and be coming to you for reassurance to the contrary. If they’re 7, on the other hand, they may have suspicions the Tooth Fairy isn’t real and want to discuss it rationally. If you determine they want to keep believing for a little longer, you can reinforce their belief with a simple, “I believe in the Tooth Fairy, don’t you?” or “Don’t you remember how she left a 5-dollar bill for your front tooth last month? Of course she’s real!”
Be gentle if you tell them the truth. If you suspect your child wants a real answer to their questions, try to be empathetic. Even if they’re having doubts, it can still be devastating for them to hear once and for all that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist, and that their parents have been pretending the whole time. Try something like, “Greta, we’re so sorry to tell you this, but the Tooth Fairy has been Mom and me this whole time. I know this might be sad for you to hear.” Explain your reasoning behind the charade. Consider sharing your own childhood experiences believing in the Tooth Fairy and remind them how much fun it was to hide their tooth and find a gift the next morning.
Accept their response. Your child may respond in any number of ways to finding out the Tooth Fairy isn’t real. They may laugh at the absurdity of the situation, get mad at you for misleading them, or become upset and cry, sensing they’ve lost something important. Or they might not respond right away at all and need time to think it over. Try to be receptive to their response no matter what it is. Remember that just because the truth is out doesn’t mean the magic has to totally die. They’ll likely still appreciate getting a gift in exchange for their teeth, and if they have younger siblings, you may want to ask them not to spoil the truth!
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