Sugar Land Pediatric Dentists Discuss Decline of Monetary Gifts for Teeth

If your child received less money than expected from a recent visit from the Tooth Fairy, he or she is not alone. According to the Original Tooth Fairy Poll sponsored by Delta Dental, The Tooth Fairy’s cash gifts have dipped from $4.36 in 2014 to $3.91 in 2015-a difference of 10.32%. The recent survey also found that cash gifts for a child’s first tooth, which are normally higher than for other teeth, are also down by 9.23%. Sugar Land pediatric dentists are surprised by the drop of cash gifts, but excited by the rise in other items left by the Tooth Fairy."The Tooth Fairy can help enforce good oral hygiene habits and make losing teeth less scary for kids,” said Dr. Nasha Hunter, a pediatric dentist in Sugar Land, Texas, at Sweetpea Smiles. “Oral health discussions should begin at a young age and the introduction of the Tooth Fairy is a great way to start these conversations.”The survey conducted by Delta Dental was conducted between December 16, 2015- January 14, 2016 and included a nationally representative sample of 1,307 parents of children ages 6-12. Other significant findings included that the Tooth Fairy gave a total of $256 million to children who lost teeth in 2015, a number that was slightly higher than 2014, despite 5% more parents saying she had visited and left money for their kids this year. The Survey also showed only 86% of homes with children reporting visits from the Tooth Fairy, and 93% of homes she visited received a cash gift. The Tooth Fairy also has a business sense and factors in the cost of living at a varying rate per region with North Easterners receiving an average of $5.27 per tooth, Westerners $4.25 per tooth, Southerners $3.63 per tooth and Midwesterners $3.11 per tooth.Studies show that the Tooth Fairy can sometimes be absent minded and forget to pick up a tooth in more than 35% of homes she visits. This forgetfulness happens more by region with the Midwest leading the forgetfulness in 46% of homes, 36% in the west, 34% in the South and 23% in the Northeast.Other interesting facts about the Tooth Fairy:

• Moms are more likely to be enlisted to help the Tooth Fairy in her delivery efforts (76% of the time, up from 61% in 2014)
• Most common times for a visit from the Tooth Fairy are between 10pm and midnight
• In lieu of cash gift, the Tooth Fairy leaves toothbrushes 40% of the time, toothpaste 33%, and floss 27% of the time.

“We are delighted that the Tooth Fairy and her helpers are beginning to leave more oral health related gifts to continue to encourage healthy habits in the child’s daily routine.” added Hunter.