If you are looking for a feel-good story, The New York Times recently found one.

It seems the tooth fairy is real. Her name is Dr. Purva Merchant and she’s a pediatric dentist in Seattle, Washington. Which brings up the question, how did she get the job?

It started with her boyfriend-now-husband who in 2004 gave her an email address that included tooth fairy as a nickname to help organize dental-school applications and maintain contact with family. Then about three years later, she received a desperate email from a parent who had forgotten to pay for a tooth and had a very disappointed child. So she decided to respond, writing an appropriate message of apology.

Since then, she has been answering three to five emails a day, some with unusual questions. Can she cover teeth that were accidently swallowed or lost? Can she provide payment in the local currency? She always replies with messages of comfort and reassurance.

So how can people contact her? She requests her complete email address not be publicized (although it’s pretty easy to figure out). It’s really a part-time gig and she wants to “keep the magic alive” and manageable for one person.

Of course, her messages always end with reminders to keep brushing and flossing, and with the same sign-off: “Happy growing up!”

To see a picture of Dr. Merchant and read some of the more endearing pleas, visit “The Tooth Fairy Is Real. She’s a Dentist in Seattle” by Eliza Shapiro at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/parenting/tooth-fairy-dentist-letters.html?