# Non-US Dopers: What Does Your Culture/Language Call Baby Teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999 "2012-01-19T12:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/1 "2012-01-19T12:40:53Z")
…and are there any traditions associated with them? \*Baby teeth being the teeth that a small child has when she first sprouts teeth, which then fall out to make room for adult teeth. Here in the US a lot of parents teach their kids that the “Tooth Fairy” will bring purchase the kid’s tooth if the tooth is left under a pillow. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/2 "2012-01-19T13:03:31Z")
UK. Milk teeth - and the tooth fairy collects them from under the pillow. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/3 "2012-01-19T13:13:09Z")
Why “milk teeth”? My WAG: Because once the tot gets them, it’s time to get her off milk and onto solids (particularly if her mamma is nursing her). ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/4 "2012-01-19T13:27:40Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > UK. Milk teeth - and the tooth fairy collects them from under the pillow. It’s the same with Finland - “maitohampaat” directly translates to milk teeth. I think I got 1 FIM for mine back in the day, maybe the going rate is 1 EUR nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/5 "2012-01-19T14:01:34Z")
It’s milk teeth in French too (dents de lait), you put it under your pillow and at night the Petite Souris (the little mouse) comes and gets it, replacing it with a coin. Growing up I used to keep my milk teeth in a small heart-shaped ceramic box adorned with a white mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/6 "2012-01-19T14:14:52Z")
It’s “milk teeth” in all the three Scandinavian languages, too: DK: Mælketender NO: Melketenner SE: Mjölktänder However, my children didn’t put them under the pillow. They put them in a glass of water on the nightstand. The next morning, the tooth fairy had replaced it with a 10 kroner coin. However, the rate may have increased slightly since my children lost theirs. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/7 "2012-01-19T14:19:29Z")
Our family always called them “baby teeth” (I’m in New Zealand). The Tooth Fairy came for them when I was a kid, but I’m not really sure if s/he continues to visit families nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/8 "2012-01-19T14:59:33Z")
Dientes de leche, which also translates to milk teeth. El ratoncito Pérez (the little mouse called Pérez) is our version of the tooth fairy, he comes to pick them up from under your pillow when they’ve fallen off an leaves some money. The Nephew is being very careful with his baby teeth right now, because he swallowed the third one and that meant no money! For my own generation, the mouse came only for the first tooth. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/9 "2012-01-19T15:01:48Z")
Canadian. same as US. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/10 "2012-01-19T15:16:07Z")
Răng sữa in Vietnam, meaning milk teeth. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/11 "2012-01-19T15:31:16Z")
“Milchzähne” in German, meaning, you guessed it, milk teeth. I think the first time I heard about the tooth fairy was in a Simpsons episode, it’s not a tradition here, and I’m not aware of any other except for some parents and/or children keeping their fallen out teeth in a box. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/12 "2012-01-19T16:22:17Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Why “milk teeth”? > > My WAG: Because once the tot gets them, it’s time to get her off milk and onto solids (particularly if her mamma is nursing her). Wait. Is “milk teeth” not used in US English? I call them both “baby teeth” and “milk teeth.” ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/13 "2012-01-19T16:33:58Z")
I call them baby teeth in humans, and milk teeth in other mammals. But I have only picked up that usage of milk teeth from reading books about mammals (where “baby teeth” might look too informal), so the distinction may have nothing to do with my culture. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/14 "2012-01-19T16:53:17Z")
I’m starting to think the question should be rephrased to “in what languages other than English are baby teeth called something other than ‘milk teeth’?” The amount of agreement is staggering. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/15 "2012-01-19T20:18:59Z")
How come so many cultures have a mouse as their Tooth Fairy? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/16 "2012-01-19T21:21:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Wait. Is “milk teeth” not used in US English? I call them both “baby teeth” and “milk teeth.” Yup - UK here and I’d say either milk teeth or baby teeth. I don’t know how common the latter usage is. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/17 "2012-01-19T21:29:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Wait. Is “milk teeth” not used in US English? I call them both “baby teeth” and “milk teeth.” Baby teeth most often, milk teeth occasionally. USA. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/18 "2012-01-19T22:13:41Z")
I’ve heard both ‘milk’ and ‘baby’ teeth used. > [@Mangetout](#): > > and the tooth fairy collects them from under the pillow. In this part of the word the tooth fairy seems to prefer collecting the tooth from a glass of water on the bedside table. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/19 "2012-01-19T22:59:36Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > How come so many cultures have a mouse as their Tooth Fairy? The Tooth Fairy’s a bit of an anomaly, when you think about it. Most European superstition that I know of assumes the importance of keeping discarded body parts (cut hair, nail clippings etc) out of the hands of supernatural creatures, lest they use them to gain control over you, or harm you in some way. And yet here we are inviting her in to take possession of bits of our precious children – the very ones traditionally most at risk from faerie attack. Presumably she dates from after fairies’ Victorian re-invention as twee, twinkly Tinkerbell types, as opposed to the uncanny, fay child-snatchers of legend. I think that if, for whatever reason, you don’t have a fairy collecting the teeth (but still want them taken by something), then your options are maybe a bit limited. Insects and spiders are too small (and too icky) to plausibly spirit away a tooth; cats and dogs are too big and too clumsy; birds in the house are often considered bad luck, and even if they aren’t, you wouldn’t want one flapping and fluttering around the bedroom. Bats don’t bear thinking about, and I doubt most children would sleep well if they were expecting a visit from a snake. That more-or-less leaves us with rats and mice, I think, and who wants a rat by the baby’s bed? Apart from the Scots, apparently, who seem to have a white fairy rat for the purpose. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999/20 "2012-01-20T01:01:55Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > \*Baby teeth being the teeth that a small child has when she first sprouts teeth, which then fall out to make room for adult teeth. Here in the US a lot of parents teach their kids that the “Tooth Fairy” will bring purchase the kid’s tooth if the tooth is left under a pillow. Australian - same childhood ritual and fairytale. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-does-your-culture-language-call-baby-teeth/609999.md?page=2)