Tooth Fairy Rate Calculator

The 2025 going rate

Per Delta Dental\'s 2025 Tooth Fairy Poll, the US national average is $5.84 per tooth. The first tooth typically commands a premium ($7-8) — many parents leave extra to mark the milestone. Regional variation is real: the South averages around $6.50 and the Midwest around $4.80.

How the rate has changed

The rate climbed steadily from about $1.30 in 2000 to $4.50 by 2018, then jumped during the 2021-2022 inflation spike to over $5.00 — and has held there. The tooth fairy is, by this measure, a surprisingly good leading indicator of household discretionary spending.

Should you pay more for the first tooth?

Most families do. The first tooth is a memorable milestone — extra money, a fancy note, maybe a small toy. After that, normal rate. The ramp-down teaches an early lesson: the same thing repeated isn\'t worth the same as the first time.

Should the tooth fairy adjust for inflation?

Some parents do (and the data shows the rate roughly tracks inflation over decades). Others keep it consistent across siblings — fairness matters more than CPI. The right answer is whichever produces less arguing among your kids.

The "lifetime tooth budget"

A kid loses 20 baby teeth over about 6 years. At the US average rate, that\'s a$117 lifetime tooth budget per kid. Across three kids: $351. Knowing the total ahead helps you avoid the slow drift to $20-per-tooth that some families fall into.

Tooth fairy money as a savings goal

Tooth fairy money is the most consistent recurring "windfall" a kid sees. Splitting it via the 50-40-10 rule (spend half, save 40%, give 10%) turns each tooth into a small budgeting lesson. The save-jar half compounds across all 20 teeth into a real number — about $47 by adult teeth at typical rates.