How to Be the Tooth Fairy

Preparing for the Tooth Fairy’s Visit

Decide where to leave the tooth. Many people choose to leave the tooth under a pillow. You can even use a special tooth-shaped pillow, if you can find one, or a pillow with a pocket sewn in it to hold the tooth. You can also ask the child if they would rather leave a tooth somewhere else. Another common place to leave the tooth is in a glass of water. After the tooth is removed during the night, you can tell the child that the tooth fairy jumped in and swam down to get it.

Talk to your child about the tooth fairy. Some children might be curious, excited, or even nervous about the idea of the tooth fairy. For instance, your child might dream about the tooth fairy, or wonder what it looks like, or be scared of the idea of something visiting their room and taking teeth. Let your child talk about their feelings, and reassure them that the tooth fairy is nice, won't be scary, and loves leaving gifts for children. Other children may have told your child scary things about the tooth fairy. If your child seems afraid of the idea, ask what other people have told them about the tooth fairy. Some children feel better if allowed to leave a note for the tooth fairy instead of the actual tooth. If your child really doesn't like the idea of the tooth fairy, don't force the "visit."

Have the child write a letter to the tooth fairy. When the child loses their tooth, they can leave a note for the tooth fairy under a pillow, along with the tooth. This note can tell the tooth fairy what the child has done to take good care of their teeth, and any other special messages the child would like to leave.

Have the child write a note to the tooth fairy if they can’t find the lost tooth, or swallowed it. Have the child write a note that explained what happened. Then, tell the child that you will deliver the note to the tooth fairy, or that they can leave the note under a pillow and the tooth fairy will pick it up. Let the child try to decide what to say to the tooth fairy. If they can’t decide, help by suggesting something like: “Dear Tooth Fairy. My (first, second, etc.) tooth fell out but I can’t find it now. You can see that there’s a hole in my mouth where it used to be. I hope you come to see me. Love, (child's name).”

Decide what the tooth fairy will leave the child. Most tooth fairy visits leave behind $1 to $5, with an average of $3. Really, however, it’s the thought that counts—even a nice note left under a pillow can mean a lot to a child. The tooth fairy doesn’t have to leave money—it could be a note, a book, candy, a small toy, etc. instead. If you write a note, you can use a fancy pen or special handwriting, or dust the note with glitter—anything to make it look like it came from the tooth fairy. The tooth fairy can also leave behind a toothbrush, floss, or other objects to encourage good dental hygiene. Some people like to leave a special certificate from the tooth fairy congratulating the child on losing the tooth. You can find templates for these certificates online.

Write an IOU from the tooth fairy if you can’t leave a gift. If the child loses a tooth and you don’t have any cash (or another gift) to leave under the pillow, write a note from the tooth fairy that lets the child know that the tooth fairy will visit soon. For instance, the note could say: “Dear So-and-So: Wow! You’re growing up so fast! I was so surprised that you lost your (first/second/etc.) tooth already that I didn’t have time to pick up your gift, but I promise to visit again soon! Love, the Tooth Fairy”

Visiting as the Tooth Fairy

Leave the special gift for the child. Wait until the child is fast asleep, then quietly slip into his or her room. Gently remove the tooth, and then place the gift (money, letter, toy, toothbrush, etc.) under the pillow or in some other location. You may want to let your child stay up a little later on the night the tooth fairy visits. That way, you will be less likely to accidentally wake them when you take the tooth and leave a gift. You can suggest that your child leaves the tooth under another pillow next to the one they will lay their head on. This will make it easier for you to take the tooth and leave the gift without waking the child. You can even tell your child it will be easier for the tooth fairy to get under the pillow this way. If the tooth was placed in a glass of water, instead of fishing the tooth out, just bring in another, identical glass of water and remove the one with the tooth. That way, you will be able to act quickly and quietly.

Save the tooth, if you want. Some like to save the first tooth a child loses (or all of them) as a special memento. If you want to save the tooth, make sure to store it in a safe place where it won’t get lost or damaged.

Have the child write a thank-you note to the tooth fairy. The child can leave the note under their pillow the next night, and you can pick it up then. This is a good way to teach gratitude and good communication skills.

Be considerate if your child wants to know more about the tooth fairy. If the child asks if the tooth fairy is real, ask them “Why do you ask?” or “Why do you want to know?” Sometimes, the child just wants to be reassured. If the child really wants to know the truth, you can explain how much fun kids have anticipating the tooth fairy, and how parents and other caregivers love to see children happy because the tooth fairy “visited” them. You can also let your child know about traditions in other countries; for instance, in Spain, a mouse named Ratocinto Perez visits instead of a fairy. Interesting facts like this can make the “truth” about the tooth fairy more fun.