I would like to learn more about the origins of the tooth fairy.
I would like to learn more about the origins of the tooth fairy.
user
Alright, I’ll ask you a few questions to figure this out.
assistant
Do we know which country it started in?
user
This is a bit of a wild guess, but the tooth fairy was very common in England, Scotland, and Wales, and possibly in Scandinavia as well.  So the actual origins of the tooth fairy are unknown, but the first recorded examples are from those countries.  Other countries have different fairy characters that help with teeth, but the idea of a fairy helping with teeth probably started in those countries.
assistant
Was the reward from the tooth fairy always money?
user
That’s not a straightforward question.  In earlier versions of the fairy, there is a lack of a monetary reward.  But later versions of the fairy, including the version we know in modern times, does involve money.  In earlier versions of the fairy, the reward is more about the fairy providing for the child’s safety.  But the monetary aspect of the fairy doesn’t seem to have been a common trait until about 1900.  Now it’s pretty common for parents to give money for teeth.  Also, what started as a reward for teeth was later expanded to include lost toys.  It’s become less about teeth specifically and more about lost toys.
assistant
Is there a story about an evil version of the Tooth Fairy?
user