When Emma Smith woke up the morning after losing her first tooth and found zilch under her pillow, she ran to her parents in tears. "We managed to convince Emma that the tooth fairy might have had too many teeth to collect that night," her mother, Jenni Levy of Allentown, PA, explains. "Sure enough, she turned up the next night." With kids' pearly whites popping out on a regular basis at this age, who among us hasn't snoozed through a tooth fairy visit or two? Keep these tricks under your pillow:

The tooth fairy's a no-show Help your child search for her reward, and while you're doing it, slip the gift into the pillowcase. Or, when your child goes to the bathroom, quickly stash the cash; when she comes out, say "Are you sure you looked hard enough?" (Trust us -- it works every time.)

Your child can't find the lost tooth and it's time for bed Have her make a paper tooth for under the pillow instead, or write the tooth fairy a note explaining what happened. (Note to fairy: It's really fun if you write back!)   

Inflation puts your tooth fairy under pressure Talk to friends' parents and agree on a set rate. Or consider leaving another type of treasure under the pillow, like a small toy from the dollar store.

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