Loosing teeth is a “BIG” event for any child around the world…it lets them know that they are becoming a big boy or girl. In the United States we have the tooth fairy, but there are many other beliefs and traditions around the world.
In Japan and Korea, it is believed that tossing your bottom teeth on the roof of your home and your top teeth underneath the house ensures healthy growth. This tradition has to do with the direction of how the roots grow. In Vietnam both upper and lower teeth are thrown over the house as the child shouts out a request to have the lost tooth replaced by a tooth of a mouse. This is because rodents teeth continuously grow for their entire life. In England during the middle ages, children were told to drop the tooth into a fire to destroy it in an attempt to ward off evil. In Mongolia, the lost baby tooth is fed to a young dog because the dog is considered to be a guardian angel. Once the dog has eaten the tooth, a new stronger tooth will grow back.
So no matter where you’re from or where you live, have fun loosing those baby teeth!! – Maria