Tooth Fairy tradition remains strong across the United States

Posted on August 19, 2022 in Children’s Oral Health

According to findings of the 2022 Original Tooth Fairy Poll® released by Delta Dental of Illinois, the Tooth Fairy visited 79% of homes across the country with children ages 6-12 who have lost teeth. Most kids are demonstrating patience for the Tooth Fairy’s visit, with more than half of parents (61%) reporting that their child waited for their loose tooth to fall out, unlike 18% of their children that pulled their own tooth! One in 3 parents agree that the Tooth Fairy is a positive way to instill good oral health habits in their child. The 2022 poll builds on insights gleaned over nearly a quarter of a century. A few additional highlights from this year’s poll include:

The Tooth Fairy continues to bring joy

• More than 1 in 2 parents say the Tooth Fairy gives their child something to be excited about (55% 2022 versus 53% 2021).

• This year, more parents indicate that the Tooth Fairy provides their child with an opportunity to celebrate something fun (55% 2022 versus 48% 2021).

• In fact, 35% of parents express the Tooth Fairy was the perfect way to spread joy in a year when they needed it most (compared to 34% 2021).

The worth of a lost tooth — cash dominates

Since 1998, Delta Dental has been analyzing the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving trends. The 2022 Original Tooth Fairy Poll® indicates the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift reached $5.36 per tooth, an all-time high in the 24-year history of the poll. This year’s value of a lost tooth has more than quadrupled since the inception of the Original Tooth Fairy Poll® when the value of a lost tooth was $1.30. The 2022 poll’s average gift of $5.36 per tooth is 66 cents (14%) higher than the previous peak of $4.70 set last year and well over $1 (33%) more per tooth in 2020 ($4.03). The 2022 poll also finds that 80% of the time the Tooth Fairy leaves only money rather than some other physical gift.

For more information about the Original Tooth Fairy Poll® and ways to make your child’s Tooth Fairy experience special, visit OriginalToothFairyPoll.com.

For additional tips on protecting your oral health, visit deltadentalil.com/oral-health.

About the survey 

The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® was conducted between January 19 and January 28, 2022, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000+ parents of children ages 6-12. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

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