[New] The Moment of A TOOTH

Local author and entrepreneur Mistie Psaledas’ unique take on the tooth fairy tradition

BY VALERIE HARDY PHOTOS BY 726 VISUALS

s most parents know, a loose tooth may cause mayhem. In my family, a child’s first two loose teeth fell out on the same day, resulting in twice the tears; a tooth was lost in a donut (and digested along with said donut); a tooth attached to a Nerf bullet was shot out of a child’s mouth; a permanent tooth was even knocked out during an ill-advised squirt gun fight in a school gymnasium (cue face plant).

Sometimes the timing of a lost tooth is utter perfection. Nothing is quite like losing a tooth at school and receiving a coveted plastic treasure chest in which to store the tooth for safe transport home. In other cases, the timing is more inopportune, like right as the child is about to walk down the aisle as the ring bearer in a wedding (another of my family’s tooth loss scenarios). Whatever the circumstance of the finally freed tooth, one thing is certain: the tooth fairy is expected to make an appearance. This is where Mistie Psaledas comes in.

Psaledas, who recently relocated to Downers Grove, is no stranger to an untimely lost tooth. Nine years ago, her then 6-year-old daughter’s tooth came out right before bedtime. In typical fashion, the “tooth fairy” only had a $20 bill and a single ripped dollar handy. Psaledas did not find either option acceptable, but she wanted to ensure the tooth fairy’s visit was a memorable one for her daughter. “So, instead, I tried to create a teeny little note from the tooth fairy and burn the edges so it would look special…it went up in flames in my hand,” she said.

Psaledas was frustrated, but the incident got her thinking. She imagined plenty of parents had faced similar situations, and she began brainstorming ways to make the tooth fairy’s tasks easier and more enjoyable.

“I wrote a note to myself, filed it away, and life went on,” Psaledas said about her idea for a “tooth fairy kit” to aid parents while still making a magical experience for the children on the receiving end of the tooth fairy’s visits. Psaledas’ idea remained untouched for years, until Feb. 28, 2019, when she serendipitously heard a radio announcement that it was National Tooth Fairy Day.

Psaledas took this as a sign. “I said aloud, ‘Alright. I got the message!’” she recounted. That day kick-started her work on bringing her idea for a tooth fairy kit to life.

Psaledas titled the kit Wiggle, Tooth Fairy Registry. According to her Etsy shop, “Wiggle is an all-in-one solution for the dilemma of what to leave when a child’s tooth gets wiggly, then falls out.”

Each Wiggle kit contains different notes with themes such as late visit

Fitness), “‘The Truth about the Tooth’ encourages anyone who believes the tooth fairy visits at night to imagine the tooth fairy any way they want…it doesn’t always have to just be a cute, blonde fairy,” Psaledas said.

The book was released last October and was the first one Psaledas wrote. The mother of three who also works full time had to be intentional about her writing process. “I did one thing every single day,” she said. “I came up with name ideas and a logo. As articles would bubble up about the different ways the tooth fairy was handled around the world, I would read those,” Psaledas said.

- AUTHOR MISTIE PSALEDAS

notices, lost tooth receipts, and congratulatory messages from the tooth fairy. The kits also feature hand-made envelopes, miniature corked bottles containing a small note and glitter, a vile in which to place the lost tooth under the child’s pillow (or perhaps in a more accessible location), a tiny key for the child’s “safe” where all teeth will be logged within a “national tooth registry,” the registry itself, and even a small wooden container for parents to use to store their child’s lost teeth.

At the same time Psaledas was creating the Wiggle kits, she also started a children’s book about different customs surrounding tooth loss and various tooth fairy depictions around the world. Authored by Psaledas and illustrated by Samantha Peroutka (Psaledas’ former colleague from when she ran the children’s division at Lifetime

The writing itself went quickly, and Psaledas submitted her concept to a publisher. “I thought [my draft] would go into a black hole,” Psaledas said, but a week later, she received word that Mascot Books wanted to publish her book. “It was almost too good to be true!”

A year since the book’s publication, Psaledas is busy doing readings, serving on author panels, and visiting dental offices with her book in tow. She is focused on new projects as well. Her love for the Hinsdale Humane Society and her own pets inspired her to write about a dog and cat who are opposites to illustrate how those who are different from one another can still get along. She said an “adult-targeted sequel, if you will” to “The Truth about the Tooth” is also on the docket. Additionally, Psaledas, along with her children who can sew, is considering making “fashionista tooth fairy pillows to elevate the tooth pillow to match the style of your child.”

“The Truth about the Tooth” can be purchased locally at Anderson’s Bookshop or Orchid Heart Boutique, or through Amazon or Barnes & Noble online. Wiggle kits are also available at Orchid Heart Boutique or on Etsy (search “shop WiggleToothFairy”). ■