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What’s The Current Tooth Fairy Rate?
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In 2024, cash transactions are becoming rare, yet children still anticipate a reward for losing a tooth. This can lead parents to scramble for whatever money they can find. Should you weave a tale about the tooth fairy only visiting on specific nights? Perhaps you’ll offer an IOU instead? And how much are you really expected to provide?
According to research from Delta Dental, which has been tracking tooth fairy payouts for over two decades, the average gift has risen to about $4.70 per tooth. Given that this figure was calculated in 2021 before inflation, it’s likely that the going rate is now closer to a solid $5.
To verify, I reached out to my sister, who confirmed that her 8-year-old daughter, Emily, has been losing teeth at a rapid pace. “We give her five dollars,” she texted. “Last time, I think we used quarters. And, yes, we may have borrowed those quarters from her piggy bank.”
Putting aside the idea of regifting a child’s own money, let’s do some math. Kids typically lose twenty baby teeth. At five dollars a tooth, that adds up to a tidy $100 from age 6, when they start losing those middle teeth, to age 12, when the molars make their exit. Essentially, every five teeth could net them a fun new toy, like a 16-inch plushie.
A quick glance at Reddit revealed a variety of what kids are receiving. One user, named FunLover123, shared that classmates have been getting “quarters, unique notes, glitter bills, and even a $20 bill.” First, what is glitter money (and is it even usable?), and second, how do you keep up with a $20-per-tooth trend? Are you really prepared to hand over $400 for twenty baby teeth?
Other Reddit users suggested my favorite idea: giving kids a $2 bill or a $1 coin. Kids under ten tend to get more excited about those shiny dollar coins than a standard $5 bill. When my kids were in elementary school, they loved receiving them because they were rare and felt special, as if they came exclusively from the tooth fairy. The challenge for me was obtaining those coins. Banks will trade them for dollar bills, but I often just bought a subway token to get some change.
My kids were going to ask me to buy them plush toys anyway, and their grandmother sends $5 bills for holidays. The dollar coins felt special—if not quite as magical as glitter money—and allowed me to navigate the tooth-losing years for just $20 per child.
This article was originally published on March 13, 2022.
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Summary
The average amount the tooth fairy leaves these days is around $5 per tooth, reflecting a slight increase from previous years. Kids commonly lose twenty baby teeth, potentially earning them about $100 by the time they lose them all. Parents are getting creative with their payouts, using coins or unique bills to keep the excitement alive.
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