According to findings of the 2022 Original Tooth Fairy Poll® released by
Delta Dental, the Tooth Fairy visited 79% of homes across the country with
children ages 6-12 who have lost teeth. Most kids are demonstrating patience
for the Tooth Fairy's visit, with more than half of parents (61%) reporting
that their child waited for their loose tooth to fall out, unlike 18% of their
children that pulled their own tooth!
One in 3 parents agree that the Tooth
Fairy is a positive way to instill good oral health habits in their child. The
2022 poll builds on insights gleaned over nearly a quarter of a century. A few
additional highlights from this year's poll include:
The Tooth Fairy continues to bring joy
- More
than 1 in 2 parents say the Tooth Fairy gives their child something to be
excited about (55% 2022 versus 53% 2021).
- This
year, more parents indicate that the Tooth Fairy provides their child with
an opportunity to celebrate something fun (55% 2022 versus 48% 2021).
- In
fact, 35% of parents express the Tooth Fairy was the perfect way to spread
joy in a year when they needed it most (compared to 34% 2021).
"Our oral health is essential to our overall health, and the
time-honored tradition of the Tooth Fairy can help bring attention in a fun way
to the importance of establishing proper oral hygiene habits at an early
age," said Jennifer Elliott, Chief Marketing Officer, Delta Dental Plans
Association. "Delta Dental is committed to increasing the public's oral
health care awareness as we support millions of dental health journeys across
America."
Find a great dentist for your child here
The worth of a lost tooth — cash dominates
Since 1998, Delta Dental has been analyzing the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual
giving trends. The 2022 Original Tooth Fairy Poll® indicates the Tooth Fairy's
average cash gift reached $5.36 per tooth, an all-time high in the 24-year
history of the poll. This year's value of a lost tooth has more than
quadrupled since the inception of the Original Tooth Fairy Poll® when the
value of a lost tooth was $1.30.
The 2022 poll's average gift of $5.36 per
tooth is 66 cents (14%) higher than the previous peak of $4.70 set last year
and well over $1 (33%) more per tooth in 2020 ($4.03). The 2022 poll also finds
that 80% of the time the Tooth Fairy leaves only money rather than some other
physical gift.
About the survey
The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® was conducted between January 19 and January 28, 2022, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000+ parents of children ages 6-12. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3%.
For more information about the Delta Dental-sponsored survey, Tooth Fairy resources for families and kids, and oral health tips for infants to pre-teen, visit the Original Tooth Fairy Poll®.
Follow us on Twitter @DeltaDental and Facebook: Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental insurance provider, covering more than 85 million Americans and offering the country's largest dental network with approximately 154,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies provided over $1.8 billion in direct and in-kind support to improve the oral health of our communities. Visit deltadental.com for information on individual dental insurance plans and group dental insurance plans.
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