Baby Teeth Traditions and Customs From Around the World

While in the United States of America when children lose their teeth they put that tooth under their pillow for the Tooth Fairy to come at night and exchange it for a surprise, in other parts of the world things are different. Here is a list of some baby teeth traditions and customs from all over the world: 

Asia

Some children in Asian countries toss their teeth. When a child loses a tooth what they do depends on which part of the mouth the tooth came from. If the tooth was lost from the upper jaw, then they throw their teeth on the floor or under the house. When the tooth is lost from the bottom jaw, they throw the tooth on the roof. The hope is that the new tooth that grows in will be drawn to the tooth that was tossed away. Sometimes as they toss their teeth they make a wish to go along with it. 

Latin America

In Spain and some other Spanish-speaking countries children also put the tooth that came loose under their pillow, but they are not waiting for the Tooth Fairy to come. No, instead they wait for a little mouse called El Raton Perez. He comes at night and, like the Tooth Fairy, exchanges their tooth for a surprise. 

Europe 

Burying teeth is a thing they do in some parts of Europe. The idea is that the baby teeth are buried in the garden to promote growth for their new teeth, like plants growing in a garden. Some places, like Turkey, take it a step further and encourage the children to bury their teeth near the place they would like to work when they grow up. 

Whatever tradition you may have in your family, don’t forget to make visiting a dentist part of your traditions and customs. At Hoodview Dental we see children of all ages. It is best to establish good oral hygiene habits at a young age so they can be carried on throughout life. It is very important to see us if the baby tooth only partially fell out due to some trauma. Leaving part of a tooth jagged can cause problems down the road. It is also important to see a dentist if the tooth is dark gray or black in color. This can be a sign of significant health issues that need to be treated.