Tooth Fairy Moms Paying Major Moolah for Molars : Dave’s Diary

Thinking back to when I last lost a tooth, I believe the tooth fairy brought me a nickel…or a dime ...but chump change by today’s standards!  Delta Dental conducted a Tooth Fairy Poll and they discovered plenty under the pillow!

Whether it's the result of the promising signs of an economic recovery or simple generosity, the nationwide average in 2012 was $2.42 per tooth, up 15.2 percent from the $2.10 she gave, on average, in 2011.  Maybe it was the success of The Rise of the Guardians  which featured the tooth fairy with Santa, the Easter Bunny and other icons of imagination.

1,200 parents nationwide were surveyed by Delta Dental, which points to the busy fairies as a barometer of the stock market's overall direction. Here are some facts from the Delta Dental Tooth Fairy Poll:

• The Tooth Fairy visited nearly 90 percent of U.S. homes with children who lost a tooth.
• The Tooth Fairy left cash for kids in 98 percent of the homes she visited. Two percent of children received toys, candy, gum or other gifts.
• The Tooth Fairy's monetary gifts ranged from one penny to $100.
• The most common amount left under the pillow for a lost tooth was $1; however, in 22 percent of homes, the kids struck it rich with $5 per tooth.
• The Tooth Fairy is more generous when it comes to children who have lost their first tooth, leaving more money for the first tooth in 46 percent of homes. On average, the amount given for a first tooth was $3.49.