Tooth Fairy payout in ME & NH is below national average

The tradition of the tooth fairy

Have you ever stopped to think about the process of losing baby teeth? It’s strange. It’s weird to think that you grow these tiny bone-like things out of your mouth and then those tiny bone-like things fall out of your head so that new, bigger bone-like things can grow in their place.

Even crazier to think of the life of pre-modern dentistry. It is no wonder that life expectancy at the time was 27 years. Have you ever had dental pain and problems? Brutal.

Then, somewhere along the way, the concept of the tooth fairy was born.

According to Forbes, many cultures around the world have long-standing traditions and legends surrounding baby teeth. Some burn their teeth, others bury them, and some even swallow them!

The concept of the tooth fairy is largely inspired by American traditions by other European traditions. Forbes describes a British tradition of a fairy leaving coins for servants, and the Italian version of Santa Claus would leave coins in exchange for lost baby teeth. There is even a story for children in France of a queen who was imprisoned by her king. She got a mouse to help her and the mouse ended up being a fairy. The Mouse Fairy then knocked out the king’s teeth, hid them under his pillow, and then had him murdered.

Probably inspired by the end of World War II and the Great Depression and an influx of “play money”, the the legend of the tooth fairy is born. This has evolved over the years, but the gist is that a child loses a tooth, puts it under their pillow, and then the tooth fairy shows up and takes the tooth in exchange for money.

The Maine Tooth Fairy is Cheap

Apparently, the economy and culture from state to state have an impact on the payment of the tooth fairy. Dental Care Alliance did a survey of parents across the country asking what they paid like the Tooth Fairy for their child’s teeth.

Maine came in 42nd place with a payout of $2.88 per tooth. Better than Massachusetts at 48 at $2.48 and worse than New Hampshire at 36 at $3.43 per tooth. All, however, are below the national average of $4.57.

Want a big payout? Be a kid in Deleware. These children collect an average of $8.91 per tooth.

I guess a big problem is that mom and dad rarely have any money these days and if they do it’s a big bill. It’s not like you’re going to leave the child with nothing, is it? So here is a 10-spot.

Let this be a reminder to parents, cash in a 20 for a bunch of $1 bills. Don’t get caught with dental floss in your teeth.