Feb 25, 2025 - Business
Tooth fairy payouts drop to lowest rate in years
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Even the tooth fairy is pinching pennies these days.
The big picture: For the second year in a row, an annual Delta Dental survey found the tooth fairy is paying less for lost teeth than the year before.
- The average value of a single lost tooth declined by 14% from $5.84 to $5.01, according to the survey of 1,000 parents of children ages 6 to 12.
- In 2023, the value of a single lost tooth reached a record high when it was $6.23.
Yes, but: Despite the decline, the average cash gift per tooth increased 285% from 1998 when a lost tooth fetched $1.30 on average, Delta Dental said.
Value of first tooth drops
Zoom in: 33% of parents said the tooth fairy spent more on a child's first lost tooth but that value has also dropped.
- The new survey found the tooth fairy paid $6.24 down 12% from $7.09 in 2024.
Tooth fairy's 2025 rate by region
By the numbers: Lost teeth in the South had the highest value this year at $5.71, the only region to experience a year-over-year increase, the survey found.
- The West had the second highest value at $5.69 a tooth but "experienced a significant 33% drop for a lost tooth," Delta Dental said. In 2024, the West had a whopping value of $8.54.
- The Northeast average was $4.59 down from $6.87 last year. It's the first time the rate fell below $5 per tooth since 2020.
- The Midwest significantly trails the national average and had the lowest value at $3.46.
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