OAK BROOK, Ill.–The economy may still be strong, but at least one asset is seeing depreciation: kids’ first teeth.
According to a new survey, the Tooth Fairy continues to tighten the strings when it comes to the amount left under the pillow when a child loses a tooth.
According to the just-released Original Tooth Fairy Poll, which is sponsored by Delta Dental, the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift declined to $3.70 in 2018 for a lost tooth. That’s down an average of 43 cents from one year earlier.
But it isn’t bad news for all kids. According to the Poll, 37% of parents said they pay $5 or more to a kid when a tooth is lost. Moreover, parents pay more for the first tooth, an average of $4.96, representing $1.26 increase over the $3.70 average for subsequent teeth lost, the poll found.
Delta Dental said it has been conducting the Tooth Fairy Poll for two decades now. When the poll launched in 1988, the national average for a tooth lost was $1.30, which equates to about $2 today with inflation, it said.
“The Original Tooth Fairy Poll has typically served as a good indicator of the economy's overall direction, tracking with the movement of Standard & Poor's 500 Index for 14 of the past 17 years,” according to the company. “A year ago, a single lost tooth was valued at $4.13 and dropped to $3.70 in this year's survey, down 10%. Over the same time period, the S&P 500 also saw a decline and decreased by 3%.”
Regional Findings
Among the other findings:
- $4.19 — The West: The western U.S. continues to lead U.S. regions in highest average monetary gifts for a lost tooth but dropped 66 cents compared to a year ago ($4.85)
- $3.91 — The South: The South has replaced the Northeast for second-highest regional average even as it slid by 21 cents from 2017 ($4.12)
- $3.75 — The Northeast. The northeastern U.S. loosely follows the South in average Tooth Fairy payout, but tumbled 60 cents from the previous poll ($4.35)
- $2.97 — The Midwest. The midwestern U.S. represents an average of 73 cents less than the national average (3.70) and 47 cents lower than a year ago ($3.44)
The survey was based on a representative sample of 1,058 parents of children ages 6-12.