Average value of a single lost tooth soars 16% in past year
Average value of a single lost tooth soars 16% in past year
GLENDALE, Ariz. (February 23, 2023) — Even the Tooth Fairy can’t escape inflation.
Just in time for Tooth Fairy Day on February 28, Delta Dental of Arizona released its 2023 Original Tooth Fairy Poll®, and in it reports that the average value of a single lost tooth during the past year increased 16% from $5.36 to $6.23. The new value not only has children beaming with gap-toothed smiles but also represents a record high in the 25-year history of the poll. Since the poll’s inception, the average cash gift left by the Tooth Fairy has surged 379% from $1.30 to $6.23 per tooth. At this rate, in 2048, the Tooth Fairy would be leaving a whopping $30 under the pillow for a single tooth!
Historically, the Original Tooth Fairy Poll® has typically mirrored the economy's overall direction, tracking with the trends of Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500). However, while the average value of a single lost tooth increased 16% over the past year, the S&P 500 experienced an 11% decline during the same period.
Additional Original Tooth Fairy Poll® findings:
“We all know that the Tooth Fairy is one of the most powerful tools parents and caregivers can use to teach children about oral health. Smart families may want to use Tooth Fairy Day to reinforce these lessons as well as open lines of communication about even bigger topics, like responsible saving or how different cultures have their own special traditions,” said Dr. Heather Schneider, dental director at Delta Dental of Arizona. “Perhaps the money from each lost tooth could be saved and tallied up once all baby teeth have fallen out and used for something special!”
Here is a look at some of the ways lost teeth are celebrated in other countries, which makes for a great conversation about different cultures with kids:
For tips and articles to help parents and caregivers take care of their family’s oral health, visit the Delta Dental of Arizona Blog at www.deltadentalazblog.com.
About the Survey
The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® was conducted between Jan. 6, 2023 and Jan. 19, 2023, among 1,000 parents of children ages 6 to 12. The margin of error is +/- 3%. The January 2022 S&P 500 average was 4,410 and decreased to an average of 3,942 for January 2023, consistent with the timing of the Original Tooth Fairy Poll®.
About Delta Dental of Arizona
Delta Dental of Arizona is the leading dental benefits provider in Arizona, serving more than 1.4 million enrollees and more than 3,700 contracted dentists across the state. Passionate about oral health and its importance to generations of families, Delta Dental of Arizona has worked for over 50 years to improve oral health by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage accessible to a wide variety of employers, groups and individuals. Since 2010, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, gave over $16 million to support oral health education and disease prevention programs for underserved and uninsured communities across the state. For more information about Delta Dental of Arizona, visit www.deltadentalaz.com.