The all-inclusive guide to making your child’s tooth fairy experience as magical (and educational) as possible
As a parent, Get your kid excited about the dental care you want to give your little one a magical childhood.
You want to nurture their imagination and teach them healthy habits they can take with them into adulthood.
Characters like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are a great way to make the holidays more memorable, but the Tooth Fairy offers a unique opportunity.
If you know the tricks of the trade–which we’ll share with you shortly–you can create a meaningful tradition with your kid that will get them excited about dental health.
And the best part? You can involve them in the process as much as you like, turning it into a fun, creative, and imaginative experience.
Why Even Use the Tooth Fairy?
Many parents are concerned about misleading their children when it comes to the Tooth Fairy, and that’s just fine!
There’s no reason to go the traditional route. You can just as easily turn it into a game of pretend and still make a fun ritual out of putting your little one’s lost tooth underneath their pillow for the night.
But it’s important to understand why the legend of the Tooth Fairy exists.
It’s more than just a way to make a part of your child’s life special.
It’s a way to help your little one through a confusing and potentially frightening time of their lives. They’re literally losing parts of their body, and that can be a scary and even traumatic experience, especially if it’s their first time losing a tooth.
Think back to when your teeth started to loosen and fall out. You were probably afraid it would hurt or bleed when your parents pulled them out. And rightfully so!
In such an important transitional period of their lives, having an encouraging tradition that celebrates their growth and development can provide your little one with some much-needed comfort.
Of course, it’s also a great way to instill in them the importance of dental health and good hygiene habits.
Creative Tooth Fairy Ideas Your Kid Will Love
Now, let’s dive into some fun ways to up your tooth fairy game and leave your child excited about their next loose tooth.
Create Your Own Tooth Fairy
The legend of the Tooth Fairy, or related magical tooth collecting creatures, dates back to the 17th century.
In Europe, the “Tooth Fairy” can be a rabbit, a mouse, or a rat depending on the country you’re in. And cultures around the globe have used dogs, squirrels, and even beavers as their magical dental mascots.
What’s great about this is that it allows you to give your child creative license when imagining the Tooth Fairy.
To get their imagination flowing, you can ask them what they think the Tooth Fairy looks like. You can even ask them to draw pictures of what they imagine he or she would look like.
Involving them in the process and letting them get creative can help them get excited about their upcoming visits from the Tooth Fairy.
Pick Out or Design a Tooth Container
This idea is more of a practical one, but you can enlist your little one’s help to make it fun for them!
It may seem like a given, but if you’re putting their lost teeth under their pillow, having a container will make the process much easier. Digging around for a small, stray baby tooth in the middle of the night could prove to be challenging.
Not to mention, the more time you spend searching for their tooth, the more you risk waking them up!
Whenever your child’s first tooth gets loose, you can shop online together and let them pick out a tooth container that they like. Or, you can visit your nearby arts and crafts store and put one together yourselves.
Designing a tooth container is another chance to have a fun, creative experience with your little one. By the time their first tooth falls out, they’ll have a special box to put it in, which they can use for the rest of their baby teeth too.
Being the Tooth Fairy can be hard work. This idea can help make things easier for you and more exciting for your kid.
Leave Them a Tooth Receipt from the Tooth Fairy Herself
To add a personal touch, you can design and print out tooth “receipts” to put under your child’s pillow along with the reward.
They can include their name, the date, which tooth fell out, the reward you gave them, and a special note from the Tooth Fairy encouraging them to keep up the great work.
If you’d rather use a template, the American Dental Association (ADA) has some sample tooth receipts you can check out here.
These commemorative slips are a great way to celebrate lost teeth and give your child a bit of praise from the Tooth Fairy herself.
Experiment With Different Rewards
Just because cash is the typical reward for baby teeth doesn’t mean you can’t get creative and mix things up.
Does your child like legos? You can find mini lego sets at your local superstore that would make the perfect gift for them, although you may want to put them on the nightstand instead of underneath the pillow!
You could also experiment with plushies, stickers, games, and other toys. You know your little one better than anyone, so have some fun with it and pick something you think they’ll love.
Start a Tooth Journal
Turn losing their baby teeth into an interactive, imagination-fueled activity by having your child keep a tooth journal.
If they like the idea, you can pick out a notebook and decorate it together. Then, whenever they lose a tooth, they can write an entry in the journal, including how it came out, the date, and maybe even how they took care of it before it fell out.
When they put the tooth under their pillow at night, you can write a note as the Tooth Fairy, congratulating them for brushing and flossing regularly and giving them some words of encouragement to keep up the good work.
You can even use a glitter pen to write the note if you want to go the extra mile!
Leave a Trail of “Breadcrumbs”
One member of the Dental Express team remembers how his family used to make “snow” prints leading from the fireplace to the Christmas tree using flour and his dad’s old military boots.
To add a sense of wonder and excitement to the experience, you could do something similar whenever your child gets a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
You can buy special “fairy dust” online or use glitter to leave a trail from the window to the nightstand or the bed.
Seeing proof that the Tooth Fairy paid them a visit can make the experience all the more magical for your little one and motivate them to stay on top of their dental care.
Celebrating Your Child’s Dental Health
Losing their baby teeth is a big part of your little one’s life. Making it fun and exciting for them can bring joy to a time that could otherwise be confusing and a bit scary.
Some parents like to pull out all the stops when it comes to the Tooth Fairy, while others take a more relaxed approach.
Whatever you choose, at Dental Express, we’re here to celebrate your child’s progress and support them on their journey to a happy, healthy set of adult teeth.
We hope this guide gave you some creative ideas to build a unique Tooth Fairy experience your little one won’t soon forget.
And if you need family-friendly get your kid excited about dental care, we hope to see you at one of our locations in the San Diego area soon!
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A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Dentistry