A box of eggs. Heating bills. And now, a bump in the price for one of those tiny teeth secretly plucked from under a child’s pillow.
That’s right — even the Tooth Fairy isn’t immune to inflation.
Parents, if you’re coughing up a buck per tooth, you’re a cheapskate. The going rate in the United States is now $6.23 per tooth, an increase of 16% from 2022, and an all-time high, according Delta Dental’s “Original Tooth Fairy Poll.”
The poll, now in its 25th year, surveyed about 1,000 parents of children ages 6-12 using an email invitation and an online survey.
“The sample was designed to capture a broad spectrum of the U.S. population, not just those with dental insurance,” according to Delta Dental.
Back in 1998, when the dental insurance company began surveying parents, the average value of a lost tooth was a mere $1.30. In 2022, Delta reported that about 80% of parents leave money, not some other type of gift.
But if you’re feeling a bit stingy, you’re apparently not alone. By region, parents in the Midwest paid on average the least per tooth in the most recent survey: $5.63. Parents in the South paid the most at $6.59 per tooth.
The trajectory of the poll through the years tracks closely with the S&P 500 index, according to Delta.
