Even the tooth fairy is cutting back

Mar 24, 2009

In a sign that the recession is affecting even mythological beings, the tooth fairy reportedly has cut back spending per tooth by 10% this year.

The fairy so far is paying an average of $1.88 per tooth this year, down from $2.09 last year, reports Securian Dental, which conducts an annual poll of its commercial members.

The fairy could not be reached for comment, according to a press release. But Dani Fjelstad, chief financial officer for Securian Dental, was available to put a positive spin on the cutback. "It seems the tooth fairy's not immune to the economy -- but she still did much better than the stock market," Fjelstad said in the release. "Compared to the tooth fairy's 10% decrease, the Dow Jones decreased 32% over the same measurement period, and global indices performed even worse."

Tooth fairy gift amounts range from a low of 5¢ to a high of $40 per tooth, according to Securian's survey. The downward trend in tooth fairy gifts appears to be driven by a decrease in the number of $5 gifts and an increase in $1 gifts.

The Securian poll produced a number of other findings:

More than half of children's first dental visits do not occur until age 3 or older.
Approximately 90% of parents surveyed stated their children receive a dental exam every six months.
Nearly 86% of parents report that their children brush their teeth in the morning, and 94% of children brush at night, while only 2.5% brush at noon.
The numbers suggest children are consuming fewer sugary drinks and/or treats. Parents surveyed indicated their children consume an average of one to two sugar drinks and/or treats per day. Last year's poll indicated that more than one-third of children were consuming three or more sugar drinks and/or treats per day.

Securian has 4 million members, but the company did not include in its report the number of people actually polled, or provide information about the margin of error for the survey.