Every child between the ages of 5 and 7 experiences the exciting first stage of growing up when their baby teeth fall out. The process can be slightly painful, especially if you have to resort to the help of a dentist. The sweet expectation that all his suffering will be rewarded by the tooth fairy can distract and delight the baby.
Who is the tooth fairy?
A fairy-tale creature that collects children’s fallen teeth at night, or the tooth fairy - who is she and where did she come from? Together with Babayka and Santa Claus, this character has become a favorite of families all over the world for so long that it is difficult to imagine a happy childhood without him. Using this magical image, it is easy and pleasant to talk with your child about important things in the language of a fairy tale that he understands.
If you believe the legend, the tooth fairy's working day, or rather the night when she begins her duties, is very busy. It’s hard to imagine how many baby teeth fall out in children all over the world every day, and the sorceress must have time to visit each one in order to exchange the tooth for coins or a small gift. The gap-toothed smile of a satisfied child in the morning is her main reward.
Teeth “as a keepsake” - is it worth keeping?
The first baby teeth are of great importance for mothers, not only when they erupt, but also when they fall out. Many mothers keep things that are memorable to them from their baby (tags from the maternity hospital, a footprint and handprint, a cut lock of hair, etc.). When milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones, mothers do not always decide to throw away the teeth, so they store them along with other things the child has that are dear to them.
But is it possible and worth saving baby teeth? There are many beliefs about where a child's teeth should be placed. Some are inclined to dispose of them, while others, on the contrary, attach great importance to this moment and the tooth itself. Disposal does not have any bad consequences, just like storing the tooth. If you leave a baby tooth at home, over time it may simply crumble or dry out.
The storage of baby teeth can be approached from the other side - scientifically. British scientists have proven that stem cells can be extracted from the pulp of a baby tooth, which are increasingly used in the fight against serious diseases and in cosmetology. Scientists were also able to prove that dental pulp stem cells are “stronger” than those obtained from the umbilical cord connecting mother and child. But the properties of a tooth can only be preserved if it is stored correctly. To do this, you can contact the stem cell center.
The tooth fairy is a legend
The tooth fairy was invented by the Spaniard Luis Coloma at the beginning of the last century. Being a writer, he was commissioned by the queen to write a fairy tale about her son, who was just old enough to lose his first baby tooth. He became the hero of the story, along with the tooth fairy and a mouse named Perez. The fairy tale received well-deserved love and recognition. The magical tooth fairy became a welcome guest for children, and tooth loss no longer frightened them.
Few people remember the origin of this legend. The image of the tooth fairy, passed down from generation to generation, has acquired new details, changed, adapted to modern conditions, but, as before, is covered in magic. Nowadays, just like a hundred years ago, children tremblingly hide their teeth under their pillows or come up with other ways to please the tooth fairy and receive a gift.
What does the tooth fairy look like?
The magic of turning a baby tooth into a gift only happens at night, so no one knows what a real tooth fairy looks like. She is depicted in snow-white clothes, because she values cleanliness like no other. Wings and the ability to fly are an integral part of the image of a classic fairy, and without wings, how can one manage to collect all the lost teeth overnight? Rumor has it that on her belt hangs a bag of magic pollen, with which she puts to sleep anyone who wakes up at the wrong time and might catch her at work. A shimmering halo and magically colored eyes - that’s all we know about the fairy.
What does the tooth fairy do?
It is known that this hard worker sleeps during the day. There is information that at this time her elf assistants are looking around the world for children with loose teeth, planning an itinerary for the boss and coming up with gift ideas. When night falls, the good tooth fairy flies out to do her job. It is not known exactly why she needs so many baby teeth. They say that she and the other fairies use them to build a snow-white castle for their queen. Also, perhaps, with the help of the elves, she makes exquisite jewelry from them as a gift to her friends.
In any case, white, clean and beautiful teeth are especially valuable to her. The child must understand that what the tooth fairy brings as a gift depends on how carefully the child took oral hygiene, how carefully he used the toothbrush and floss, and how well he preserved the tooth for the fairy. If you try hard, you can get some coins, a good book, or a healthy treat from her.
Where does the tooth fairy live?
Like other magical characters, the tooth fairy is a resident of a fairyland where it is warm all year round, the air is filled with sweet aromas, dense forests are full of fantastic creatures, and flowers of incredible beauty sway on their stems near crystal clear lakes. Sometimes she remains asleep on our planet, hidden in a water lily or covered with the petals of another flower, but on other days she hurries home with an impressive harvest of baby teeth. There, in her spacious, bright hut, the tooth fairy and her assistants arrange the loot on shelves and prepare sleepy pollen for the future.
Why do people give a silver spoon as a gift for their first tooth?
According to custom, the baby is given a silver spoon. This tradition is old, and it came to Russia from England.
Silverware, SF ArgentA (price on the link)
It is believed that silver protects against the evil eye. Thus, the spoon becomes a talisman. It is known that this metal has healing properties, it is able to neutralize foods, and even darken if there is poison in the food. Noble people, fearing that the heir would be poisoned, used a silver spoon to feed him. Later, this custom spread to people of all classes. He assumes that the baby will be protected in this way, and silver will symbolize wealth and well-being.
Many people have heard about this, but do not know who gives a child a silver spoon for his first tooth.
According to custom, the one who first saw the tooth should give it. But now it has lost its relevance, and godparents, grandparents, and parents themselves can give it.
Does the tooth fairy exist in real life?
Some will call her a fairy tale, some will claim that they managed to meet her, and some will not care about her at all. In order to be sure whether the tooth fairy exists in real life, there is only one way - to try to see it. You can set up an ambush and watch the tooth left for her until dawn, pretending to be asleep. Leaving a video camera on all night is also a good way to find out the truth. You just need to remember that trying to get to the bottom of the truth can easily destroy all the magic, scare away the fairy and be left without gifts at all.
A professional dentist is a real tooth fairy, or at least her faithful assistant. The doctor will carefully ensure that your teeth remain strong, even and beautiful, so you must listen to his advice, follow it carefully and come for regular check-ups. Brushing diligently, taking care of it and treating it in a timely manner are simple recommendations, following which you will not be ashamed to show your fallen baby teeth to any fairy.
Swelling and gumboils after milk tooth extraction
The surgical dental procedure is quite traumatic. When a baby tooth is extracted, tissue and blood vessels are torn. The child does not feel pain under anesthesia, but almost always experiences stress. Therefore, common consequences include a slight rise in temperature, swelling after the removal of a baby tooth, a small bruise in the projection of the extracted unit, the whims and bad mood of the baby.
In the case of edema, parents should monitor closely. Within normal limits, swelling persists and even increases in the first three days after removal. After this, the swelling should subside. But in some cases the situation begins to worsen. Improper healing, infection or pathology is indicated by:
- high temperature - more than 38 degrees;
- gumboil - a very swollen cheek after a child’s tooth was removed, as well as when the swelling went down to the throat;
- bleeding - repeated or continuous;
- pain - severe, difficult to relieve with medications;
- numbness of the gums - in the area of the socket of the extracted tooth;
- vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.
Any of the listed symptoms indicates the need to consult a doctor and take urgent measures to eliminate the ailment.
How to summon the tooth fairy?
The elf helpers do not always have time to inform the sorceress about all the children who will soon lose a tooth. To give her what she deserves and receive a gift, you can simply tell her that it’s time to come. So, for the tooth fairy to come, you need a ritual:
- Place the tooth under the pillow.
- Before going to bed, say: “the magic fairy will appear for the tooth, I will dream about you tonight,” or invent another enticement for her.
- Go to bed and meet her in a dream, answering the question of what you want in return for a tooth.
- In the morning, under your pillow, find a souvenir from her.
You can put a fairy bait not only under the pillow, but also in a glass of water by the bed or in a special box so that it doesn’t roll away at night. But what to do if a tooth falls out and is lost? The tooth fairy will definitely find him and bring him a reward. You just need to write a letter to her with her parents, in which they write approximately where the tooth could have been lost. It happens that the gift does not appear on the same night when the ritual was performed, but all because the fairy has a lot of work. The main thing is to make sure that your teeth are clean and healthy, and this work will certainly be rewarded.
When can you expect your first tooth to fall out?
The rudiments of permanent teeth are laid during the formation of the fetus in the womb. After birth, the baby begins to erupt baby teeth, which are the precursors of adult teeth. The age of teething may vary; there are cases when children are born with teeth. Most often, earlier teething implies their earlier loss.
Children's teeth fall out in the order in which they erupted, but not necessarily. This is explained by the duration of preservation of the roots of baby teeth. Before the tooth begins to emerge from the socket on its own, the root is reabsorbed, and the growing permanent tooth pushes the temporary one.
The replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones in children begins at the age of 5–6 years. However, this is an exclusively individual process, so the first baby tooth may fall out earlier, or vice versa, much later. Normally, at the age of 8, a child should already begin the process of changing teeth. If teeth have not begun to fall out, you should consult a dentist to predict the eruption of permanent teeth in order to exclude a delay in the process due to irregularities.
The lower incisors, located in the center, fall out first. These will be followed by the upper incisors. At the age of 7–8 years, the lateral incisors will fall out. The process is then temporarily suspended. By the age of 9–10 years, the child’s baby teeth begin to fall out again. And by the age of 14, most children have formed a full row of teeth, with the exception of the eighth molars, which are also called “wisdom” teeth. In addition to 20 baby teeth, the teenager will already have a set of permanent teeth that had no predecessors.
Good spirits summoned on the street
In the magical world, there are many entities that are not capable of causing significant harm to a person. Summoning these spirits is very simple, they include:
It is not difficult to summon these spirits, but it is necessary to clearly define the purpose of the ritual.
It is better to carry out the ritual in the daytime on the street; if all parts of the ritual are correct, then the person will receive the most faithful of assistants.
To do this, you need to go outside and, closing your eyes, imagine the image of a bright being who treats a person with love. And then three times, clearly (you can quietly) say:
“Spirit, dear, bright, kind, appear. Become a helper and friend."
After pronouncing the last word, the person performing the ritual will feel warmth flowing into his body and this will mean that the spirit has come to the call and is ready to provide any possible help.
Then, you should tell him exactly what desire you need from him, then let him go. If the spirit agreed to cooperate, then every time it will appear nearby, ready to provide help and support.
Types of perfumes
Many people (especially teenagers) wonder: who can be summoned from the spirits? It should be remembered that people who are not knowledgeable in the field of summoning spirits can become victims of lower spiritual entities whose main goal is to mislead.
And the souls of famous people in the past very rarely and with great reluctance make contact with strangers, so the safest way out would be to call on deceased relatives.
But if the summoner is eager to summon a spirit that is harmless and represents the magical level of the other world, then it should be:
- Forest, tooth and other fairies;
- Gnomes;
- Mermaids;
- Leshy, water and brownies
Most often, depending on what spirits are called, people want to get answers to questions or achieve the fulfillment of desires. Harmless creatures from the other side of existence are summoned mainly during the day, at which time their strength is much stronger.
Signs of different peoples of the world
In Asia
The signs of Asian peoples are especially interesting. It is customary for them to throw the first milk teeth, which fell out in the upper row, onto the roof of the house, and to place the lower ones under the threshold at the entrance. There is a belief that this way you can protect your own home from evil spirits who will not be able to penetrate inside and steal the soul of a sleeping child.
In Rus'
In Rus' they believed that if parents throw out their first baby teeth, their children will soon forget the way home. Their fate will be difficult, and there will be serious trials in life. It was believed that a discarded tooth was equivalent to a discarded ruble. The wealth leaves such a family, and expenses increase. Whether there is any rational explanation for this or whether everything remains at the level of superstition - one can only guess.
In Europe
When the first milk tooth falls out, signs indicate the need to surrender it to the elements: fire, water or earth. Many nationalities do not recommend storing it, since it is quite possible to influence a person through biological material. Let us remind you that these are just superstitions that you can believe in or not believe in. You should not concentrate your attention on this as much as possible, much less turn a natural physiological process into a mystical event.
Calling spirits at home
At a time when the sun's rays illuminate the rooms in the house, you can call a gnome with a sweet tooth. The ceremony must be carried out at home.
This creature has the power to fulfill absolutely any desire and brings happiness and joy to the house, as well as a lot of sweets.
There are two magical rituals designed to evoke this entity.
First way
In order to invite a sweet tooth gnome into your home, you need to damage your own property (it does not have to be significant).
Then, on the floor in the kitchen, draw a house with multi-colored crayons and place candy in its center (preferably in a rustling wrapper).
Before leaving the kitchen, open the window wide and go away. As soon as you hear the rustle of opening candy in the house, you can mentally make a wish.
Second way
Just as in the first case, the ritual must be carried out during the daytime, but the location of the ceremony is moved to a dark room.
In any darkened room, sweets (in rustling packaging) are hung by a thread, after which the door must be closed tightly. You can make a wish as soon as you hear the rustling of candy wrappers.
The advantages of these rituals are that they can be performed without candles and mirrors. The main thing is to believe and good beings will definitely fulfill any desire.
Ritual to call a fairy, with a candle
To conduct a ritual for beginners, you need to buy in advance:
The ritual should be carried out during the full moon, at 12 noon. You need to sit down at a completely clean table and place a small bowl of water in the center, and around (at an even distance from each other) candles, nearby you need to put a delicious sweet (a reward for the fairy for her work).
Then the window to the room is opened slightly (so that the creature can enter the room), after which, lowering your head into a container of water, you need to exclaim three times:
“Fairy of desires, I conjure, hear my call! Come and make your wish come true!”
As soon as the person performing the ceremony hears a distant bell ringing and ripples appear on the surface of the water, it means the fairy agrees to fulfill the person’s wish.
If after the ceremony there is silence around, it means the magical creature does not want to make contact.
But if the fairy still decides to fulfill a wish, it is worth remembering that she can only fulfill 1 wish at a time. And the caller should not abuse her kindness and call her more than once a month.
It is necessary to clearly formulate your wish and not try to make something that no one can fulfill (magic power, elixir of eternal life, etc.).
Option 3 – throw it away in the forest
This method, according to many nationalities, is one of the most correct. You need to set aside time and take the child to the forest, where you invite him to make a small hole under any tree he likes and leave the fallen tooth there. According to legend, such a ritual will allow you to connect with nature as much as possible, receiving the energy of the forest for a prosperous and happy life.
There are also children who flatly refuse to part with their teeth. What to do with baby teeth that have fallen out? There is an alternative to the forest - this is to plant a flower in a pot. Children adore this procedure, and when they see a flower blooming, they are sure that it is their valuable contribution that contributes to all this. The fallen treasure is placed in a beautiful flowerpot, covered with earth, and then seeds or a shoot of a flowering plant are planted. Children take an active part in the process and happily care for the flowerpot, watering the ground.
In some nations, it is customary to bury children's first milk teeth in the sand or throw them into the river. It is believed that the earth and water must take what they have created in order to even out the balance. To believe in it or not is the business of every adult. For children, it is more interesting to create some kind of adventure that will allow them not to be afraid of teeth falling out.
Sunny bunny - the spirit of wish fulfillment
The most harmless spirit that can fulfill any wish is a sunbeam.
To call it, you need to draw a bunny on a piece of paper, but be sure to not lift the pencil from the surface of the sheet.
This drawing should be placed on the windowsill so that the sun's rays fall directly on it. And the words of the conspiracy are pronounced:
“Sunny bunny, come to me. Fulfill my wishes!”
These words must be repeated 5 times, pronouncing each word very clearly. Then, you need to close your eyes tightly and cover the drawing with your palms.
Without removing your hands, you need to make a wish, turning to the sunbeam. As soon as the wish is made, you need to tear your palms off the surface of the paper and release the cheerful and kind ghost into the wild.
After a few days, the wish will definitely come true.
