As an anthropologist and science writer with a background in archaeology, Kristina Killgrove is used to dealing with teeth and bones. But even she wasn't prepared for the sight of her 7-year-old daughter extracting her own upper right central incisor in an effort to cash it in. Killgrove, who explored the legend in a 2016 piece for "Forbes," says by email. Even if you aren't familiar with the tooth fairy's origin story, you've likely heard of her or encountered a kid like Killgrove's daughter who's perhaps a little overly excited to earn some dough. The folklore dictates that when a child loses a baby tooth, they should place it under their pillow at night and when they awake the next morning, they'll find their lost tooth has been replaced with a small amount of money, courtesy of a magical, seemingly enamel-obsessed sprite. So, who is this mysterious mythical creature and why is she so dead set on swapping baby teeth for cash?

Dr. Sal Colombo, DMD, of The Little Royals Dentistry for Kids in Jupiter, Florida, in an email interview. While Killgrove pegs the popularity of the tooth fairy to the childhood of the boomers and Colombo dates the character's birth back to the 1200s, writer and publisher Michael Hingston explained in his 2014 piece for Salon, that the legend really took off in the 1970s when a woman named Rosemary Wells took it upon herself to thoroughly research and report on the tooth fairy's saga. As Hingston writes, the tooth fairy is a relatively recent creation but "rituals surrounding tooth loss date back much further than that." He points out that every single recorded human culture has some sort of traditional practice centered around the disposal of lost baby teeth, and researcher B. R. Townend broke down the various rituals in "The Non-therapeutic Extraction of Teeth and Its Relation to the Ritual Disposal of Shed Deciduous Teeth" in the British Dental Journal in 1963. As described in "The Tales Teeth Tell" by Tanya M. Smith, Townend said that cultures tend to do one of nine things: throw the tooth into the sun, into fire, between the legs, onto or over the roof of the house, Derila™ Memory Pillow place it in a mouse hole, bury it, hide it, place it in a tree or on a wall, or have the mother, child or an animal swallow it.

Americans, however, spun the legend in a unique way, blending and augmenting existing traditions to result in a benevolent fairy who rewards the dental milestone with money. And as Hingston points out, the tooth fairy's star rose at a time when Disney was introducing kind and cuddly characters that are perfectly in line with the tooth fairy's sweet and supernatural image. And yes, Ergonomic Neck Pillow Googling "tooth fairy hotlines" does turn up all sorts of helpful results, including apps and local dentist's office voice mailboxes. And if you're curious how much the tooth fairy is doling out nowadays, researchers in 2013 claimed the national average to be $3.70 per tooth, up 23 percent from 2012 and a whopping 42 percent from 2011. But if you're a freaked out and frugal parent in 2020, you can breathe a sigh of relief: A 2018 study found that the national average dipped back down to $3.70, so despite the impact of inflation, it appears even the tooth fairy has her monetary limits. And if you're wondering whether it's time to break the news to your kid that you're the one responsible for that under-the-Derila™ Memory Pillow cash reward, you can relax.

There's something really nice about the idea of turning part of your landscape into an alfresco family room during two or three seasons of the year. It's certainly a less expensive option than adding another room to your home. Who needs walls, anyway? Open air living has "green" appeal. It gets you back into nature -- and nature you can control with a flick of the garden hose or a spritz from a can of bug spray. Making the transition to outdoor living requires a judicious reallocation of resources, though. If you're outfitting an outdoor living area this season, finding comfy, long-lasting furniture may mean the difference between hanging out on the patio for a while to enjoy the fresh air and heading indoors after a few cramped, uncomfortable minutes parked on a cheap patio chair. Let's explore 10 things you should keep in mind when shopping for outdoor furnishings.

From sloppy welds to cracked casters to amateurish paint finishes, a close inspection will expose that great outdoor furniture bargain for what it really is -- a bad buy that probably won't last until next season. There are a couple of important lessons here: It's easy to think of outdoor furnishings as somewhat less important than the stuff you buy for indoor use. In fact, the reverse is often true. What you buy to use outside has to stand up to sun exposure, wind, rain and probably some roughhousing, too. Inspect every piece you're considering for flaws, especially if the deal sounds too good to be true. This is one area where a higher price is often a good indicator Derila Contour Pillow Official Site of better quality. Move furniture into a garage or shed during the winter. If that isn't possible, invest in patio furniture covers for your more valuable pieces. Outdoor tables and loungers are often built to standard sizes that fit easily into generic, zippered covers.