Tooth Fairy 45% More Generous in 2013

March 13, 2014— -- Seems like the cost of everything is going up. Gas. Food. Lost teeth.

Good thing the Tooth Fairy's a generous sort of fairy: 44.6 percent more generous in 2013 compared with the year before, according to a nonscientific email poll of parents conducted by Delta Dental.

The going rate for a lost tooth is $3.50 on average, up from $2.42 in 2012.

The poll, conducted every year since 1998, shows a correlation between the Tooth Fairy's generosity and the performance of the S&P 500. Delta Dental calls it a "good barometer" of the market's overall direction.

"Tooth Fairy giving has tracked with the movement of Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) in 10 of the past 11 years, Delta Dental said in a news release. "In 2013, the S&P 500 gained 29.6 percent, its best annual performance since 1997."

Looks like the Tooth Fairy's investments are going well.

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And for parents wondering whether their kids will get more money for that all-important first tooth, the answer is yes. First teeth cost the fairy an average of $4.51.

Other findings from the poll, which surveyed more than 1,000 parents nationwide, include:

- The Tooth Fairy visited 86 percent of U.S. homes with children who lost a tooth.

- The Tooth Fairy left cash for kids in 98 percent of the homes she visited. Two percent of children received toys, gum or other gifts.

- The most common amount left under the pillow by the Tooth Fairy was $1 (42 percent received this amount).

- Twenty-eight percent of kids hit it rich and received $5 or more for each lost tooth.