De tandenfee komt op bezoek

What does the Dutch “tandenfee” do?

The tandenfee is the Dutch tooth fairy, who visits children at night when they leave a baby tooth under their pillow and trades it for money or a small gift. The Dutch version is identical in spirit to the international tradition (English tooth fairy, French petite souris), but Dutch families typically leave 1-2 euros per tooth, sometimes paired with a sticker, Pokémon card, or a small Dutch muntje. Dutch dental-care policy is generous (annual gebitscontrole free for kids under 18 through zorgverzekering), so Dutch parents lean into the tooth fairy as a source of childhood encouragement around brushing and dentist visits.

In this clip, a Dutch parent reassures a worried kid: “Mijn tanden eruit. Ach, geen zorgen. Vannacht komt gewoon de tandenfee.”