Despite all the talk of cost cutting in Tooth Fairy Land and despite curtailing payouts in other parts of the country, the Tooth Fairy continues to leave generous payouts for childrens’ lost teeth in Texas and the South.
This unexpected generosity comes as the national average for a tooth left under a pillow has dropped 14% to $5.01 in 2025 from $5.84 in 2024, according to the latest Delta Dental Original Tooth Fairy Poll®.
Kids in the South, including Texas, saw their under the pillow payment actually increase up to $5.71 from $5.51 last year.
Sadly, the kids in the West experienced a 33% drop for a tooth this year, to $5.69. Those in the Northeast also dropped by 33% to $4.59. Those in the Midwest continue to only receive $3.46.
According to the poll, “while 1 in 3 parents (33%) say the Tooth Fairy spends more on their child’s first tooth, she also is pinching pennies in recognition of this milestone, with the average value dropping 12% from $7.09 to $6.24 over the past year.”
According to Delta Dental:
“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, since 2023, the value of a lost tooth has gone in a different direction. Over the past year, the average value of a single lost tooth decreased 14%, while the S&P 500 experienced a 26% increase during the same period.”
The good news is that despite the recent decline in monetary giving, the Tooth Fairy has increased her gifts by 285% from $1.30 to $5.01 per tooth since the poll’s inception in 1998.
The Tooth Fairy does have a website you can visit!