What the going rate for a lost tooth?
Inflation impacts all of us – including the Tooth Fairy.
First and foremost, parents should know there isn’t a “right” amount when it comes to determining the cost of a baby tooth. Still, there’s no denying the price the Tooth Fairy is paying is more than ever!
But before delving into the going rate for a baby tooth, let’s have a look at how inflation has impacted the Tooth Fairy’s bottom line over the years.
In The Beginning
The Tooth Fairy first arrived on the scene around 1900 and, although data from that time is spotty, it appears she paid about a nickel per tooth.
That remained the going rate until the Great Depression of the 1930s, when the value of teeth sometimes dropped to as little as a penny. But the Tooth Fairy weathered the economic storm, and by the year 1960 the average tooth price had quadrupled to about 20 cents!
After that, things really took off.
By 1975, the Tooth Fairy was shelling out an average of 85 cents per tooth – an increase of more than 400 percent in just fifteen years!
By the 1990s the Tooth Fairy was leaving as much as a dollar per tooth.
By 2000 it was $1.50, and by 2010 the Tooth Fairy had raised the rates to $2.50!
The rate of growth in tooth prices has only accelerated since then.
What's The Going Rate Today?
Today, according to most reports, the Tooth Fairy is leaving kids between $3.50 and $4.00!
Still, that doesn’t mean every kid gets the same amount.
Sometimes the Tooth Fairy pays more, other times less. In other cases, the Tooth Fairy has stopped leaving money and instead leaves special gifts, like a new toothbrush or some dental floss.
At the end of the day, how much – or what – the Tooth Fairy leaves behind all depends on her unique relationship with each child.
After all, for the Tooth Fairy it’s not about the money! It’s about encouraging every child in the battle to stop Prince Plaque and the Tartar Troopers from breaking down the Teeth Walls of the Pearly City.
So the next time your little one is wondering about what the Tooth Fairy will leave behind, remind them what they receive from her is not as important as having clean teeth.
The real excitement comes from being part of an epic battle to keep the Pearly City safe – and the Tooth Fairy, General Floss, and Sir Brushalot can’t do it without your child’s help!
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