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The tooth hurts when it comes to declining pillow payments

Posted On: Feb. 25, 2019 12:50 PM CST

tooth fairy

The latest numbers are in and it’s a sad day for gap-smiled kids everywhere: the tooth fairy isn’t paying as much.

In 2018, the tooth fairy paid an average of $3.70 for a lost tooth, representing a 43-cent decline from the previous year's average, according to insurer Delta Dental Plans Association's “Tooth Fairy Poll.”

The poll, which surveyed over 1,000 parents of children ages 6-12 nationwide, represents the second drop in what kids found under their pillows after losing a tooth. In 2016, the average was $4.66, according to the survey.

“Payouts for a lost tooth can be influenced by several things, such as what parents received when they were young, a child’s age, how many teeth a child has already lost, oral health habits and whether it is the monumental first lost tooth," Andre Richards, assistant vice president of brand strategy and management at Delta Dental, told USA Today on Monday.