The Tooth Fairy is Not So Generous

When I was a kid, I’d get a quarter every time a tooth fell out and I put it under my pillow. First thing in the morning, I’d look for the quarter and invariably find it there.

When my sons were kids, I’d stick a silver dollar under their pillows in exchange for the tooth. That is, if I had a silver dollar handy. If I didn’t, I’d leave two 50¢ coins. That is, if I had half-dollars available. If not, four quarters would do the trick.

And that’s why I wasn’t too upset when I learned this morning that the national average for a tooth this year is $2.60 (Source: Visa). That’s a heck of a lot more than I or my sons got. Unfortunately, that’s down from last year’s average of $3.00. But what the heck, it’s still money for some discarded dental pieces, no?

Here’s the skinny on how areas of the country compare:

·         West: $2.80, up 10¢ from last year.

·         Midwest: $2.80, down 10¢.

·         South: $2.60, down 70¢.

·         East: $2.10, down $1.30.

Guess the bad economy has affected the Tooth Fairy’s Eastern Assistant the most, huh? Ask your children where they’d like to live. Betcha they say in the West.