Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2017

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smiling faces

ost children have a total of 20 baby teeth.

At around 6 months of age, the first of 20

sharp chompers appear, 10 on the top and

another 10 on the bottom. Technically

known as deciduous teeth, they act as placeholders for the

adult teeth that grow in after the baby teeth fall out.

Losing a tooth can often be painful or traumatic for

a child. For some, the idea of

losing a part of themselves is

upsetting. To lessen the fear, in North America, parents

turned to offering a small token or payment for the tooth.

Hence, the tooth fairy was created and became a wildly

successful way of easing the pain.

“The tooth fairy is a great way to help children not

to fear but to take an interest or look forward to losing

a tooth,” explained Dr. Dorothy Baker, pediatric dentist

and owner of Summerville Pediatric Dentistry and

Orthodontics. “Saving lost baby teeth is a special habit

in our culture and is wildly popular as well as widely

accepted. We even have tooth fairy dolls that mimic The

Elf on the Shelf®.”

In medieval Europe, tradition dictated that the baby’s

tooth be buried right away to prevent a witch from taking

ownership. It was thought that if a witch were to acquire

the tooth, she might be able to obtain total power over

the child. In Norse culture, soldiers going into battle wore

children’s teeth because they were believed to be a source

of good luck.

The concept of saving or storing a child’s tooth is

practiced around the world and in many different cultures.

Today, many parents add the caveat that the tooth fairy

won’t pay for decayed teeth, only for healthy ones –

another reason to brush them three times a day.

School nurses often send home a child’s tooth in a

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