Tooth Fairy’s payout for lost teeth is soaring, posting record gains in 2016 and early 2017, and yet again serving as an unlikely but accurate economic indicator. According to the Original Tooth Fairy Poll, sponsored by Delta Dental, the amount of cash the Tooth Fairy is willing to leave behind has jumped to an all-time high over the past year, averaging $4.66 per tooth compared to $3.91 in 2015. This could spell even better things to come for the economy, as this poll has consistently proven to be a good indicator of the economy’s overall direction, tracking with the movement of Standard & Poor’s 500 index (S&P 500) for 12 of the past 13 years.
This year’s poll shows the 19.8 percent increase in Tooth Fairy payouts is within a few percentage points of what the S&P 500 saw during the same timeframe last year, which was an increase of 19.61 percent.
In 2016, the Tooth Fairy paid an estimated $4.8 million in Missouri for 1,180,285 lost teeth in the state. By region, Tooth Fairy payouts are highest in the West at $5.96 per tooth, followed by the Northeast at $5.08, the South at $4.57 and the Midwest at $4.04.
“In addition to the excitement a visit from the Tooth Fairy brings, she also delivers lessons in finance and good oral health,” said Ron Inge, DDS, chief dental officer and vice president of professional services for Delta Dental of Missouri. “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.”
According to the poll, the Tooth Fairy visits 85 percent of the nation’s households with children; and in 89 percent of those homes, leaves money. But, 56 percent of parents say the Tooth Fairy can be a little forgetful, neglecting to pick up the tooth on the first night.
An even split of children save (48 percent) and spend (48 percent) the cash received by the Tooth Fairy; however, 3 percent actually donate the money, and a savvy one percent even loan the cash out. In addition to money, the Tooth Fairy has been known to leave gifts that strengthen children’s oral health habits like a toothbrush, dental floss and toothpaste.
About the Survey: The Original Tooth Fairy Poll was conducted between January 24th and January 31st, 2017 among a nationally representative sample of 1,588 parents of children ages 6-12. The margin of error is +/- 2.5 percent.
To learn more about Delta Dental of Missouri, visit www.DeltaDentalMO.com. Helpful oral health news and information is also available on the company’s website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter @DeltaDentalMO.
Delta Dental is the dental benefits leader in Missouri and the U.S. Ninety-four percent of Missouri dentists participate in a Delta Dental network and 4 out of 5 dentists participate nationally. In Missouri, more than 1.6 million members in nearly 1,700 companies, large and small, choose Delta Dental. Nationally, nearly 1 in 3 families with dental benefits choose Delta Dental – 56 million members from nearly 96,000 companies. Delta Dental is also committed to improving the oral health and overall health of the children in our community and therefore proudly supports the Delta Dental Land of Smiles® educational touring theater program, HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis and Give Kids A Smile.
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For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris
(314) 436-9090