While the Tooth Fairy’s increased her average cash gift by 30 cents to $4.03 for kids across the nation, her purse strings appear to be tighter than a year ago for children living in the western region of the U.S., having seen a 22-cent decrease in their payout for a total of $3.97 per lost tooth according to the annual Original Tooth Fairy Pollâ, sponsored by Delta Dental.
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) for 15 of the past 18 years. Last year, a single lost tooth was valued at $3.70 and this year’s survey shows upward growth to $4.03, an increase of nearly 9%. Over the same time period, the S&P 500 also experienced growth, with a 22% increase, reaching its highest average since the inception of the Original Tooth Fairy survey.
Delta Dental has been analyzing the Tooth Fairy’s U.S. annual giving trends since 1998. The newly disclosed value of a lost tooth has more than tripled since its inception when the value of a lost tooth was $1.30 as it reaches its fourth highest payout in the history of the survey.
The Delta Dental Tooth Fairy weighed in on payout amounts, “Kids need to be brushing and taking care of their teeth. I tend to pay more for healthy teeth so let’s keep brushing those teeth for two minutes two times a day, and don’t forget to floss!”
Regional Statistics:
- $4.35 – The Northeast: Leads U.S. regions in highest average monetary gift for a lost tooth, outranking The West, which led the previous two years in a row.
- $4.01 – The South: Tracks most closely to the overall U.S. average.
- $3.97 – The West: Decreased 22 cents, moving from highest regional average last year to third regional average this year.
- $3.71 – The Midwest: Increased 74 cents over last year but remains lower than the national average for the second year in a row.
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For more information from Delta Dental of Washington, visit its blog at www.deltadentalwa.com/blog.
About the Survey
The Original Tooth Fairy Poll was conducted between December 30, 2019, and January 11, 2020, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents of children ages 6-12. The margin of error is +/- 3%. The S&P 500 stood at 2,596 on January 11, 2019 and increased to an average of 3,159 for January 2020. For more information about the Delta Dental-sponsored survey and oral health tips for infants to pre-teen, visit Original Tooth Fairy Poll.
About Delta Dental of Washington
Delta Dental of Washington is the state’s leading dental benefit provider, covering nearly 3 million people in Washington state and nationally. As the only not-for-profit carrier dedicated to improving oral health in Washington, Delta Dental plays a vital role extending access to care for the underserved and vulnerable populations through the ARCORA Foundation, corporate philanthropy and oral health advocacy. For more information, visit: www.deltadentalwa.com.
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