Delta Dental celebrates 23 years of tracking the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving in the Original Tooth Fairy Poll®

This National Tooth Fairy Day, Delta Dental reminds families and caregivers of the role the Tooth Fairy can play in teaching children about oral health. While 72% of parents surveyed said they struggle with getting their child to brush their teeth, one in three parents agreed that Tooth Fairy visits are a positive way to instill good oral health habits in their children. In addition to helping create good oral health habits, Tooth Fairy visits are special, fun, and exciting. Nearly half of parents welcome the Tooth Fairy into their homes because they want to:

Give their child something to be excited about (53%)

Make their child feel special (46%)

Celebrate something fun (48%)

"The Tooth Fairy tradition invites oral health conversations into households in an exciting and fun way, which is why Delta Dental continues to create materials centered on the Tooth Fairy for parents, families, and communities to educate children about the importance of good oral health," said Emily O'Brien, Director of Strategic Communications, Delta Dental Plans Association.

To learn more about Delta Dental's Tooth Fairy resources for families and kids, please visit our Original Tooth Fairy Poll website.

Tooth Fairy payouts reach all-time high

New findings from Delta Dental's Original Tooth Fairy Poll® show the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift reached its highest point in the 23-year history of the poll for a total of $4.70 per tooth.

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. 2020's giving marks the highest all-time average gift of $4.70 per tooth, four-cents higher than the previous peak in 2017 at $4.66.

The value of lost tooth and the economy

Delta Dental's Original Tooth Fairy Poll® has typically mirrored the economy's overall direction, tracking with the trends of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) for 16 of the past 19 years. In 2019, a single lost tooth was valued at $4.03, and the 2020 survey shows upward growth to $4.70, a 17% increase. Over the same time, the S&P 500 also experienced growth, with a 19% increase, reaching its highest average since its inception.

About the survey

The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® was conducted between December 28, 2020, and January 8, 2021, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000+ parents of children ages 6-12. The margin of error is +/- 3%.

For more information about the Delta Dental-sponsored survey and oral health tips for infants to pre-teen, visit The Original Tooth Fairy Poll®.