Got an idea for a holiday? Send it to us

Submit Now

2K Shares
2K Shares
ThuAug 22

National Tooth Fairy Day – August 22, 2024

National Tooth Fairy Day on August 22 celebrates the excitement and wonder of kids losing their teeth! National Tooth Fairy Day is a reminder for kids, young and old, to relive the fun of visits from the Tooth Fairy when a newly lost tooth was exchanged for a fun surprise as they looked under their pillow in the morning!  The Tooth Fairy Collection, which includes the book “A Visit From The Tooth Fairy”, helps celebrate the passage of youth with a gift set that encapsulates this childhood tradition and creates a sense of anticipation every time a child loses a tooth. The Collection includes three beautiful elements to make the experience even more exciting and memorable: an enchanting story Book, a special Pouch that holds the tooth while they wait for a visit from The Tooth Fairy, and an opulent Vault used to store their teeth. The Collection is the perfect way to create an exciting experience for a child during these special times. The Tooth Fairy is committed to helping every child and as part of their mission, for every Tooth Fairy Collection purchased, up to seven toothbrushes will be donated to America’s Tooth Fairy. We love The Tooth Fairy Collection because it speaks to the wonder and innocence of childhood and reminds us to cherish the memories we make with our children as they grow.

History of National Tooth Fairy Day

There are three figures that are the pillars of modern mythology for children — Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. While the first two are well documented and discussed, not much is known about our elusive flying friend. But the Tooth Fairy is quite popular because every night children around the world excitedly anticipate the Tooth Fairy’s arrival after they have lost a tooth. 

The origin of fairies dates back to 13th-century England when they were described for the first time by Gervase of Tilbury. The tradition of a child receiving a gift for a lost tooth can be traced back to medieval Europe. In a collection of writings called the “Eddas” about the Norse and Northern European traditions, there is a reference to a ‘tand fe,’ which directly translates to ‘tooth fee.’ As part of this tradition, children would receive a small fee from their parents when they lost their first tooth. This is because teeth were a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Some Viking warriors would even wear a string of teeth as a necklace during battle to protect them.

The closest counterpart of the modern Tooth Fairy came in the form of an 18th-century French fairytale, “La Bonne Petite Souris” (“The Little Good Mouse”). However, the first written American record of a reference to the ‘Tooth Fairy’ dates back to a 1908 “Chicago Tribune” article in which the author, Lillian Brown, provided parents with a magical suggestion on how to get their children to have their loose milk teeth pulled. That suggestion was, you guessed it, telling their kids that the Tooth Fairy would leave five cents under their pillow for every tooth they lost. In 1927, an eight-page script for a children’s play titled “The Tooth Fairy” was written by Esther Watkins Arnold. The play became widely popular, with schools reenacting it and imaginations being stirred with thoughts of a tooth fairy collecting teeth in exchange for money or presents. Since then, the Tooth Fairy has become a global phenomenon, reportedly paying visits to children in the U.K., Canada, and Australia.

In 2021, The Tooth Fairy Collection came up with an idea to make this decades-old American tradition even more fun and memorable for families and children. The limited-edition Tooth Fairy Collection is designed to support positive reinforcement and encouragement as kids experience this unforgettable milestone in fun and memorable ways. To celebrate and capture these precious yet fleeting moments, every Collection includes:

  1. A beautifully illustrated hardcover Book called “A Visit From The Tooth Fairy,” which is written as a poem to support memory development, vocabulary, expression, and reading and writing in young children.
  2. A special Pouch designed for children to slip their tooth under their pillow as they dream while waiting for a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
  3. An elegant keepsake Vault that helps protect and store children’s precious baby teeth for years to come.

Just like the mystery surrounding the fairy, the origin of the holiday is just as mysterious. Someone somewhere created National Tooth Fairy Day to be celebrated in August but in the lives of children who are losing their baby teeth, the Tooth Fairy is celebrated all year round, as they partake in the enchanting experience of receiving visits and surprises from the Tooth Fairy for every tooth they lose. 

National Tooth Fairy Day timeline

1908
A Tooth Fairy is Born

The earliest reference to the Tooth Fairy appears in a "Chicago Daily Tribune" Household Hints column.

1920s
Fairies as Advocates of Health Education

Fairies are used to encourage kids to eat their vegetables, go to sleep on time, and clean their teeth.

1925
Tooth Fairy Toothpaste

An advertisement for Fairy Wand Tooth Whitener uses an image of the Tooth Fairy.

1927
The Tooth Fairy Takes the Stage

Watkins Arnold’s 1927 play for children, “The Tooth Fairy,” debuts.

2004
Peppa Tooth Fairy

The popular children’s cartoon “Peppa Pig” features the Tooth Fairy in one of its episodes.

2021
The Tooth Fairy on the Silver Screen

“The Tooth Fairy” movie debuts, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Julie Andrews as the titular characters.

September 2021
The Tooth Fairy Collection is Released

A fun and exciting way for children (as well as parents) to cherish the experience of losing their teeth is created in the form of The Tooth Fairy Collection.

National Tooth Fairy Day FAQs

How can I order a Tooth Fairy Collection for my child?

You can visit fromthetoothfairy.com to sign up and order your Tooth Fairy Collection. The retail price for a Collection is $50 and it will be available starting September 2021. Psst! It’s also limited-edition, so don’t miss out.

At what age does the Tooth Fairy stop visiting?

The Tooth Fairy stops visiting a child once they have lost all their baby teeth. Children start losing their baby teeth from the ages of four to eight, and this continues until they are between nine and 12 years old.

What is America’s ToothFairy and its role in The Tooth Fairy Collection?

America’s ToothFairy is a resource provider that increases access to oral healthcare by supporting nonprofit clinics and community partners to deliver education, prevention, and treatment services for underserved children. For every purchase of the Tooth Fairy Collection, The Tooth Fairy and The Crown Oral Health Foundation will donate up to seven toothbrushes to America’s ToothFairy to distribute to children in underserved communities.

National Tooth Fairy Day Activities

  1. Watch a movie or read a book about Tooth Fairy tales

    Read the exciting story about losing a tooth and the magical Vault that helps the Tooth Fairy cherish and preserve childhood memories in The Tooth Fairy Collection’s book, “A Visit from the Tooth Fairy.” Additionally, there are dozens of books about the Tooth Fairy and other popular fairy tales. Go to your local library and check out a few. Read them with your child or an important kid in your life. There's also the “The Tooth Fairy” movie and its sequel, both great for the whole family!

  2. Prepare for a Tooth Fairy visit

    f your child happens to be close to losing a tooth on National Tooth Fairy Day, help them get ready for a visit! Tell them about the legend of the Tooth Fairy. Write their name on their Tooth Fairy Collection Vault to personalize it. You can even try the various common tricks to get that tooth to fall out today! And if you succeed, help your child hide the tooth in their special Tooth Fairy Collection Pouch under their pillow for the Tooth Fairy to find and exchange for a small surprise. A hand-written letter from the Tooth Fairy is another great way to get your child excited about the upcoming visit — they’ll be sure to cherish it for years to come.

  3. Take care of your teeth!

    This is something most of us should do every day but sometimes we slack off. Let National Tooth Fairy Day inspire you to dig out that floss and brush those teeth until your pearly whites sparkle! This day is also ideal for evaluating the brushing technique of children and assisting them in perfecting it. Make sure your child is brushing their teeth twice a day, for two minutes. All around, inside and out, tops and bottoms — including the biting surfaces!

5 Fun Facts About The Tooth Fairy To Dig Your Teeth Into

  1. The Tooth Fairy collects a lot of teeth

    On average, the Tooth Fairy collects about 300,000 teeth from children every night.

  2. The going rate for teeth

    About 10 years ago, the Tooth Fairy paid around $1 for a tooth, while today, due to inflation, they’re paying up to $5 for a single tooth — on average, however, they leave $3.70 per tooth.

  3. There was a Tooth Fairy Museum

    A professor and expert in the Tooth Fairy, Rosemary Wells, opened the first Tooth Fairy Museum in Deerfield, Illinois, in 1993 — it closed down in 2000 after Wells’ death.

  4. Most children believe in the Tooth Fairy

    About 40% to 65% of children believe in the Tooth Fairy, depending on their age.

  5. No one actually knows what the Tooth Fairy looks like

    Unlike Santa Claus, there isn’t a widely-held consensus on the Fairy’s appearance — Dr. Rosemary Wells (widely recognized as America’s foremost Tooth Fairy Expert) conducted a survey in 1984 and found that while 74% of Americans viewed the Tooth Fairy as female, another 12% believed the Tooth Fairy was neither male nor female. The remaining 14% imagined the Tooth Fairy as a bear, a bat, a dragon, and various other characters!

Why We Love National Tooth Fairy Day

  1. Excitement in children

    Children love the excitement of waking up to a gift from a fairy in exchange for a lost tooth. It’s a fun myth for parents as well as children. Participating in the fun and watching the pure joy little kids exude is wonderful. The excitement for both parents and children is akin to waiting for Santa Claus at Christmas and we all love it!

  2. The fun of folklore

    Everybody loves a good story, especially if it's sprinkled with fairy dust. For centuries, fairy stories have enthralled both children and adults around the world.

  3. It shows how resilient and brave kids really are

    From the day they pop their first tooth, to the day they lose their last, a child’s smile goes through SO many changes in the first few years of their lives! Some changes can be physically painful, while others may be figuratively painful as the awkward toothless years create smiles resembling happy little jack-o-lanterns. The idea of the Tooth Fairy celebrates these moments in a fun way by encouraging children to be brave and face the unknown, while never losing their sense of whimsy and imagination — not to mention, discovering something shiny and new under your pillow makes it all worthwhile. Thanks, Tooth Fairy, we owe ya’ one!

National Tooth Fairy Day dates

YearDateDay
2024August 22Thursday
2025August 22Friday
2026August 22Saturday
2027August 22Sunday
2028August 22Tuesday

Holidays Straight to Your Inbox

Every day is a holiday!
Receive fresh holidays directly to your inbox.