Money appears to be tight for the tooth fairy. For the second consecutive year, the average value of a single lost tooth in the U.S. in 2025 plummeted by 14%, according to results from the Delta Dental Plans Association "2025 Original Tooth Fairy Poll."
The average value of a lost tooth fell 83¢ from $5.84 to $5.01, which marks one of the most dramatic year-over-year declines in tooth fairy giving since the poll's inception in 1998, according to a Delta Dental press release dated February 25.
New findings from the Delta Dental "2025 Original Tooth Fairy Poll" revealed the average value of a single tooth lost during the past year fell 14% from $5.84 for $5.01. Image and caption courtesy of Delta Dental.
The tooth fairy’s spending budget is affecting first-time tooth losers, which fell from a whopping 12% from $7.09 to $6.24 over the past year, according to the poll that was conducted in January among 1,000 parents of children ages 6 to 12. This was the second year those losing a tooth for the first time felt the pinch of those tightened purse strings. In 2024, the average value to first-time losers dropped from $7.29 to $7.09.
Despite the tooth fairy's money-saving moves, the average cash gift left by the tooth fairy has risen 285% from $1.30 to $5.01 per tooth since 1998, according to the poll.
Finally, there were also some regional differences in terms of giving.
Those kids living in the Carolinas or other states in the South seemed to make out the best. In the South, the average value of a lost tooth was the highest at $5.71, and it was the only region that experienced a year-over-year increase. The average value climbed 20¢ since 2024, according to the results.
Though the average tooth value was the second highest at $5.69 in the West, the region experienced a 33% drop. The Northeast also experienced a decrease of 33%, falling to $4.59 per lost tooth. Additionally, this was the first time the average value of a tooth fell below $5.00 per tooth for the first time since 2020.
Nevertheless, Midwesterners again get the least for their teeth. Tooth worth fell from $3.63 in 2024 to $3.46 in 2025, according to the results. This region had lowest value in 2024.
Like 2023 and 2024, poll results in 2025 didn't reflect the U.S. economy's overall direction by tracking with the trends of S&P 500. Historically, they mirror each other. Over the past year, the average value of a single lost tooth dropped 14% while the S&P 500 experienced a 26% increase during the same period, according to Delta Dental.
