Super Saturday: Rites of Passage – Toothy Traditions

The UARK Department of Anthropology will be here to help you learn about oral health and toothy traditions around the globe!

Toothy Traditions will allow participants to learn more about their dentition, oral health, and global traditions. At the event, children will be given a “tooth passport,” and each station they visit will earn them a stamp. A fully-stamped passport will be rewarded with a goodie bag.

Stations will represent different regions of the world and will be attended by dental-focused Anthropology faculty and graduate students, clinical partners, and Predental Studies students who will talk about human teeth, global tooth-loss-related traditions, and about oral health practices. We aim to improve community oral health by fostering a judgement-free atmosphere where participants can ask questions about oral health at all stages of life and by providing dental health information and free products.

About the Tooth Fairy Project

After losing a tooth, most American children leave it for the ‘Tooth Fairy.’ Although the Tooth Fairy figure is popular in many countries, diverse tooth-loss-related traditions are practiced across the globe. While children in Indonesia throw their teeth to the sky, children in parts of Europe place lost teeth into a fire for good luck (Parsons et al., 2023). The UARK’s Department of Anthropology is an internationally-recognized hub of dental research and home to a 400+ student Predental Studies Program that prepares graduates for dental school admission. Program Director, Kathleen Paul, recently founded the UARK Tooth Fairy Project (TFP), which aims to establish a biobank of donated teeth to expand teaching and research collections. The TFP has consulted with peer institutions that have successfully developed similar collections, including the CENIEH, whose Ráton Pérez Collection comprises 5,000+ donated teeth from across Spain. Ráton Pérez, a Spanish Tooth Fairy figure, encourages families to engage and participate in their study. Their collection’s success is fueled by shared cultural practice and mythology surrounding this key moment in childhood and development. The TFP aims to take a similar approach to spur community support.

For disability accommodations, call 479.856.7170 or email kidsquestions@faylib.org 2-3 weekdays before a program. Plan your visit by viewing our building map and details on accessibility services.

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