# The tooth fairy aftermath **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457 "2002-06-17T03:36:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/21 "2002-06-17T16:10:27Z")
I put all my son’s baby teeth in a HelloKitty covered knickknack dish. He thinks its weird, but I find those little chompers somehow comforting, now that he’s in his mid-twenties. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/22 "2002-06-17T16:43:04Z")
Keep the teeth. I love looking at my baby teeth now. In addition to the teeth, my parents also kept a lock of my hair from my first haircut, and the stump of my umbilical cord when it fell off. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/23 "2002-06-17T18:50:16Z")
When Dominic lost his first tooth a couple of months ago, I had him put it in an envelope and put it under his pillow. In the middle of the night I traded envelopes… the new one had the end cut off with some of those fancy scissors that cut a curvy edge. Inside was a “golden dollar” as he calls it (a Sacky) and some of that powder-fine irridescent glitter (“Fairy dust”). He was SO excited in the morning. “She opened it with her magic!!!” he said, pointing at the fancy edge. When I mentioned that he had some fairy dust on his shoulder, he got a really traumatized look on his face like he was about to cry–he was so scared! “No, that’s a good thing!! it’s her magic that keeps you asleep while she takes your teeth! It’s very special!” after that he thought it was the coolest thing. He didn’t want to change shirts for school because he wanted the kids to see it! I’m keeping his teeth. ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/24 "2002-06-18T02:02:12Z")
My parents never mentioned it so I assumed they threw them out. Another anecdote: I once swallowed a tooth while eating spaghetti (it was loose and just waiting to come out) and I was upset that I wasn’t gonna get paid for that tooth. My folks assured me that the TF would know and pay me anyway. I got my quarter and this was in the 70’s. $5?? sheesh you are too good to your kids. ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/25 "2002-06-18T02:40:42Z")
Our youngest daughter of 6 children is 9.5 years old. When she was a bit younger and had lost her 3rd or 4th tooth, I did the unpardonable sin and FORGOT to leave her tooth fairy money. :smack: My (then) 18 year old daughter saved my butt and explained to youngest that the tooth fairy is deathly allergic to cats, and since her kitty was sleeping on the pillow the tooth was under, that she would try to deliver again the next night, and perhaps the kitty could sleep outside? 🆒 I’m forever in her debt! 😃 The going rate for the tooth fairy around here is $1. We also have a deal going with our kids that if they make it all the way to their 16th birthday without getting a cavity - that they will receive a crisp $100 bill - our kids brush - alot! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/26 "2002-06-18T03:04:59Z")
Apparently, my daughter believes that the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are roommates or at least live in the same neighborhood because last November I found a note to Santa under her pillow along with her tooth. Makes sense to me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/27 "2002-06-18T12:36:16Z")
I remember when my middle daughter, now 8 1/2, lost a tooth and misplaced it before bedtime. She wrote the most adorable note to the tooth fairy, asking if she could still have her money without the tooth. We still have the note, and yes, she got her $1. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/28 "2002-06-18T14:50:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by starkyld \* > **my parents saved mine. on the night that i came out to them (i was 22), they gave me my teeth. i never understood that correlation. > _“mom, dad, i’m queer.” > "here, have your baby teeth."_** Well, um… are you a man or a woman? If you’re a lesbian, maybe your parents were thinking, “Well, if she’s going to go ‘munching carpet’, as they say, she’ll need some extra teeth.” ::my first time duckin’ & runnin’:: Oh, but before I go… I LOVED! your tooth fairy story. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/29 "2002-06-18T17:41:28Z")
My neighbor’s kid gave him $20. Yeah, OK. My kids get 2 or 3 of the golden dollars (Look mama, treasure!) And, yes I keep the teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/30 "2002-06-18T17:46:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amp \* > \*\*A few months ago little milliAmp had a tooth fall out. It wasn’t his first so he knew the routine of putting it under his pillow before bed time. I didn’t have any cash on me so I left the SO a note about the tooth and leaving some money, she was working late that night and wasn’t going to be in until after midnight, and went to bed. > Next morning I’m awakened by little milliAmp jumping on my chest excited at the fact that the tooth fairy left him a twenty dollar bill in exchange for his tooth. It seems the fact that it was dark, coupled with the fact that she was tired led her to believe that the twenty was a one dollar bill. > Didn’t have the heart to switch the money but I know it is going to set a bad precedent. \*\* don’t you remember? certain teeth are worth more. The tooth fairies (unlike santa, there is more than one) collect teeth the way peoplpe collect, say, Pokemon cards. he must have had one of those rare teeth. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Insecta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3da27b/32.png) [@Insecta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Insecta)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/31 "2002-06-18T18:06:51Z")
My parents let me keep the teeth, but also pulled the whole tooth fairy trick. I don’t think I ever asked my parents, but I guess that they were pretending that the tooth fairy was some altruistic Santa type person who compensated people for the suffering of losing a tooth. Worked extra-well for me, because I got all but one of my teeth pulled - and that can be uncomfortable (four at once!). ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/32 "2002-06-18T20:54:02Z")
Coincidentally… I just came back from a visit to my Mom’s place. Every time I return, it’s with some treasure that my deceased father would have wanted me to have. This time, it was a gentleman’s jewelry box full of his old cufflinks, tie pins, Masonic paraphernalia, etc. In that same box are ALL of my baby teeth. Mildly oogy, but still made me glad that he thought enough to keep them. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457/33 "2002-06-18T22:23:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by starkyld \* > the one happy memory of that week was receiving a card in the mail from my tooth fairy. her name was thimsley and she told me how nice it was to finally be able to contact me directly, even though she was sad that i’d no longer be needing her services. she told me that she’d miss me and that, although she looked forward to serving generations of other children, she knew i’d always be one of her favourites. (and yes, my tooth fairy mailed me money in that final card.) That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard! 🙂 My parents saved mine in my babyboook and I’ll probably do the same for Kiddo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tooth-fairy-aftermath/114457.md?page=1)