The tooth fairy legend is widely found in western countries as well as in Asia. It is one of the most popular folk myths, in which a fairy is said to leave a gift for a child who has lost a tooth. To get the gift, the child typically places the tooth below a pillow when they go to sleep at night. The myth is practiced in many countries like the US, Germany, South Africa, Canada, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

In Asian countries like Korea and Vietnam, children don’t believe in the tooth fairy, but they do practice a ritual in which they throw their teeth on the roof or place it beneath the floor. In many parts of India, the tradition is to offer the lost tooth to the sun by wrapping it in a tiny cotton rag.

The tooth fairy tradition is also found in Latin American cultures, although the fairy is usually a mouse. In countries where Spanish is spoken, the tooth “fairy” is known as Ratoncito Perez, a a little mouse. The character of Ratoncito Pérez was created by the Priest Luis Coloma around 1894. A tale with the character appeared in the tale of Vain Little Mouse. In Italy, the “tooth mouse” is called Topino, whereas in France, the character is known as La Petite Souris.

The tooth fairy has also been popularized in western culture by TV and movies. In the 1997 movie called Toothless, for instance, Kirstie Alley played the role of a dentist who unwillingly became the tooth fairy. The popular “Santa Clause” movies starring Tim Allen have also featured a male tooth fairy, and a 2006 movie called “Being the Tooth Fairy” starred Helen Slayton-Hughes as a woman who started visiting elderly people who lost teeth because she was upset the tooth fairy only visited young children.
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