Tooth Fairy Shells Out $260M Annually On Lost Teeth, Study Says

The legend of the Tooth Fairy is merely American-made folklore dating back to the 1990s. However, the make-believe character actually shells out real money – to the amount of more than $260 million a year, according to the Delta Dental Plans Association. The organization's latest Original Tooth Fairy Poll, which was released Thursday, found that the Tooth Fairy’s cash payouts jumped up more than 13 percent with kids receiving an average of $4.66 for lost teeth in 2016 compared to $3.91 in 2015.

Although kids received $4.66 on average, some little tikes racked up much more dough for the first of their lost teeth, especially in the West, where kids received between $5.95 and $6.89. Children living in Northeast states also received a pretty penny for their first lost tooth, raking in between $5.08 and $6.31, while kids in the South received $4.57 to $4.88 for their first lost teeth. Kids in the Midwest had the lowest monetary turnout, receiving between $4.04 and $5.70 from the Tooth Fairy for their first lost tooth.

Overall, the Tooth Fairy collected teeth and dropped off cash at 85 percent of households across the U.S., the poll said.

“In addition to the excitement a visit from the Tooth Fairy brings, she also delivers lessons in finance and good oral health,” Jennifer Elliot, the DDPA’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “Having conversations with children about good oral health habits, from an early age, can help establish strong habits for a lifetime, and the Tooth Fairy can be a great way to help spark those conversations.”

Although teeth start to form before a baby even leaves the womb, a child’s first set of teeth normally don’t start to break through until their about six months. By the time a kid is three years old, all 20 milk or baby teeth should be in place, and by the age of six lower center incisors (the lower center teeth) are ready to fall out.

Teeth may start to fall out as early as four years old. A child could grow to be 21 years old before they finally receive all 32 teeth, including molars and wisdom teeth.