Parsons C L, Mountain R V, Jacobsson K, Bidlack F B, Lehmann L S, Dunn E C. Cultural diversity of traditions for the disposal of exfoliated teeth: Implications for researchers. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2024; DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12928.

Worldwide tooth collectors.

Exfoliated deciduous teeth are a useful research resource because they preserve a permanent record of early life experiences, including disease, malnutrition and exposure to environmental toxicants.

This literature review found 74 different traditions of disposing of exfoliated teeth, which were allocated to seven major themes:

  • Giving teeth to the tooth fairy - often in exchange for a monetary gift

  • Giving teeth to mouse figures - often in exchange for a monetary gift

  • Throwing teeth - often in specific directions

  • Hiding or keeping the tooth - as mementoes

  • Burying teeth - sometimes with an ancestor

  • Giving teeth to animals - wishing that the animal will bring a new tooth

  • Eating the tooth - crushed and consumed by the mother.

An understanding of the cultural differences in the disposal of deciduous teeth should help researchers using teeth as biospecimens to obtain more diverse samples, allowing a greater generalisability of findings.