Those characteristically adorable gaps in an elementary child’s smile are a rite-of-passage to adulthood. It used to be everyone got a dime or quarter for surrendering their now-useless teeth to the mysterious and elusive “tooth fairy.” But some parents are coming up with other ideas for how to handle this typical childhood experience. If you’re looking some alternatives to the traditional tooth-fairy, we’ve gathered some ideas for you here.

The  internet is full of tooth fairy certificates that you can leave under their pillow instead of coins. Typically they include the date, which tooth has been lost (first, fourth, fifth, etc), and a short encouragement. You can design a simple one in a word processor, or print one from online and sign it. The child can decide if they’d like to post them on the wall to admire or keep in a special notebook or baby book.

Have fun crafting a tiny note from the tooth fairy or print one out from this online blogger. Or, if you don’t mind the cost andwant to make it very authentic, order a tiny note from the tooth fairy here. Kids will love how tiny the note is and love showing it off to their friends. Don’t forget to take the change to exhort them to better oral care! If you want to step it up a notch, you can add glitter. You can even make tiny glitter footprints with a footprint stamp, glue, and some glitter.

Instead of introducing the idea of the tooth fairy at all, consider storing their lost baby teeth in a scrapbook of some type. You can integrate it into an existing scrapbook by taping a clear food storage bag into the book. Another idea is to get a keepsake album designed to store baby teeth like some of the options found here. This way, your child will be able to look back on how small their teeth were for years to come.

Some children feel anxious about losing their teeth. Whether they feel attached to the tooth, or

Why not try a small gift basket from the tooth fairy, filled with oral care products? The mystery and excitement of the tooth fairy can make floss cool again. Pick out some fun colored toothbrushes, flavored floss, and fluoride rinses and package them in a basket or bag with glitter tissue paper. You can explain that the tooth fairy especially loves teeth that are still in great condition, and she’s concerned that your child isn’t taking the time to keep all their teeth healthy.

Discuss some of your child’s questions about the tooth fairy. Where does she live? Does she fly? How does she know I lost a tooth? Jot down their questions on a sheet of paper, leaving space for the tooth fairy to answer, and tuck it under their pillow with the lost tooth. Instead of swapping the tooth for cash, help the tooth fairy compose answers in a glitter pen. Your child’s eyes will light up with the fun of getting a response in the morning!

There are photo editing apps like this one available that let you add a tooth fairy sticker onto a picture. You can show your child how you caught a picture of the tooth fairy visiting them the night before.

We hope you enjoy making fun memories of this milestone with your child! West One Family Dental is here for you if you have any questions about losing teeth or other pediatric dental concerns!

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