Actually, I'm quite surprised that children aren't more fearful of someone you don't know, coming into your bedroom while you are asleep and taking your teeth! I have seen so many children freak out over the whole idea of sitting on Santa's knee and that is with Mom or Dad within screaming distance.

It doesn't seem to be the case with the Tooth Fairy. She seems to be welcomed with open arms. So, let's try to understand who she is and why she isn't frightening the living day lights out of our children. First of all, she's a woman. That might have something to do with it. She wears a fancy dress, kind of like a princess, wears a crown and has a magic wand. And if that isn't enough, she leaves you money!

What about other countries? Does she change in appearance like Santa sometimes does? Funny you should ask. After checking her out in a variety of countries, I think that we had best keep her looking like that fairy princess.

The Tooth Fairy Around the World

Let's start with England. I asked my husband, because he is English. He didn't elaborate… don't think that men do all that often unless they are talking about football, but I did get it out of him that she left six d… which bought quite a bit of candy, so he says. I'm only to the pence stage of understanding. Before that, I'm lost.

In Spain, the Tooth Fairy is not what we envision the Tooth Fairy to look like at all. She's actually a little mouse that scurries into the room and makes off with the tooth. And, yes, coins are left in payment. In Mexico, a little mouse visits each home as is the case in Spain, but I did find one source that gives him a name. How does Perez, the Tooth Mouse sound to you? Kind of cute don't you think?? I checked out a few more countries, but most countries favour either a mouse or our traditional Tooth Fairy. Okay, I did find a "magic rat" which kind of creeped me, but I guess it's what you have grown up with! There was one more variation that I thought rather interesting. Tiny teeth were buried in the family garden to prevent evil spirits from visiting or in another version, ensuring that the new teeth would grow in strong and straight. Don't ask me how they came up with that connection.

What Becomes of a Baby Tooth?

So what does the Tooth Fairy or Mouse do with the teeth? Have you ever noticed all the sea shells that the waves deposit on the shores? Apparently, each shell was originally a tooth that was given to a fish to live in.

So what is the going rate for teeth these days??

Well, when I was little we were pretty excited to find a quarter under my pillow. That might not seem a lot, but in those days, a quarter would buy you a bag of potato chips and a bottle of pop. What will a quarter buy you now?? Not a whole lot unfortunately.

I did a little asking around and it seems that the average is a loonie. Not bad but a loonie or a dollar doesn't have as much purchasing power as that quarter once had. I was expecting the rate to have jumped to a toonie or two dollars by now, but it seems that a loonie is still favored by the Tooth Fairy these days.

The Tooth Fairy Apologizes

Here's one exception… one little girl received a ten dollar bill because the Tooth Fairy forgot to show up. And with that ten dollar bill was a letter of apology! Now that is funny!