Tooth Fairy Payouts?

Updated on March 31, 2011
M.D. asks from Chicago, IL
27 answers

My oldest is about to lose his first tooth & I was wondering what the going rate is these days for a tooth.
He is the fist to go through this so we are all excited but I don't want to go too overboard.

Any ideas for cute tooth fairy delivery or rituals would be much appreciated.
thanks!!

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for so many answers!
I think I will do $5 for the first & a gold coin or quarter with sparkle(magic dust) on it so he can spend the money and have a keepsake.
I appreciate the envelope tip, that will make it easier to find.
We are really close, it is so wiggly.

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S.H.

answers from Huntsville on

Wow! $20 and $10 a tooth???

My daughter hasn't lost a tooth yet, but I think I like the idea of $5 for the first tooth, and $1 for each after. Maybe I'll leave $1.08 to cover tax as the Dollar Tree! hehe :)

2 moms found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Washington DC on

My daughter hasn't started losing teeth yet, but when she does I'll give $5 for the first tooth and $1 for all others. My "tooth fairy" used to give me a pack of sugar free gum with the money, so I think I'll keep up that tradition, too.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.D.

answers from Chicago on

Hi M.D. Back in my day(I'm 61 yrs old) the tooth fairy left a quarter. With the cost of living changes, I think a dollar would be just fine(smile)

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R.M.

answers from Topeka on

When my children were young they got anywhere from 50cent to a dollar...depending upon how "rich" the tooth fairy was that night!!! We had a cute little tooth fairy box that they put the tooth in and it went under their pillow...that way it was easier for the tooth fairy to find the tooth without waking them as she rummaged under the pillow. I like the idea of the dollar coin...it is something different than you see everyday...I am sure you can get them at any bank
Which brings up an funny story...bear with me while I reminisce. It was 1981, we had 3 children and were living on the princely sum of $750 a month. Our oldest daughter lost a tooth and I was going to put a dollar bill under her pillow. The next morning she came out all excited....the tooth fairy had accidentally left a TWENTY DOLLAR BILL under her pillow!! We could NOT afford to leave that kind of money for a tooth...that was enough money to feed the family for a night or two!!! I thought fast...and told her "Honey the tooth fairy must have been out of change...if she leaves all that money with you, she will have no money for the other little boys and girls tonight. Why don't you leave that money under your pillow and I bet the tooth fairy will sneak back in while you are at school and make change". Whew....thank goodness for being able to think fast on my feet...lol.

3 moms found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Washington DC on

my kids are past the tooth fairy stage but it was always a dollar for their teeth.

We put them in a sandwhich or snack size ziploc baggie and put them under their pillow.

Just don't forget to take the tooth or you're going to get questions about why the tooth fairy didn't come LOL A couple of times I had to tell my kids "I guess a lot of little kids lost a tooth yesterday and she didn't have time to get to our house. I'm sure she'll make it to our neighborhood tonight" because I forgot to put the dollar under their pillow LOL

2 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I feel cheap after reading some of these posts! Our tooth fairy leaves a single gold dollar coin for each tooth. We write a note together to say thank you and put that under the pillow with the tooth. Then the tooth fairy sprinkles a little "fairy dust" (aka glitter) on the window sill when she comes.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Ok we have a super-nerdy tooth fairy, which works for us because we have super nerdy kids LOL - our tooth fairy provides books from our local Friends of the Library store ($1-$2 each)! And sometimes she leaves pencils or sticky notes too.

1 mom found this helpful
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N.M.

answers from New York on

First thing, we have a tooth fairy box. It saves us tired parents from having to search under the pillow for the tooth. It's a small box under the pillow but makes your life easier! I tried the gold coin, my son wasn't into it. He told me that at first he was worried thinking it was only a quarter, but then he read it said one dollar. Still since he had never seen one before he had to ask me if it was real money. He was not excited at all about the gold dollar coin. Since then I either leave 4 quarters or a $1 bill. I know he has friends who get $3 and $5 a tooth. I can't afford that so he only gets $1.

1 mom found this helpful

D.G.

answers from Lincoln on

good question! and reminder our tooth fairy was supposed to come Thursday night but oops!!! anyways...$1 per tooth.

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K.L.

answers from Des Moines on

We give our daughter $5 a tooth. My parents think it's crazy! We say it's because of inflation!

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M.G.

answers from San Francisco on

When my child lost their first tooth, I did emphasize the amount. Instead I looked for something that they might want to hang onto as a momentum. If you have one of those half dollar coins or maybe one of those dollar coins. Also, I purchase a special tooth box.

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K.U.

answers from Detroit on

One idea I heard was to give them a silver half-dollar or gold dollar coin for each lost tooth - they don't see those too often, so they may seem extra special. And it's cheaper than playing out 5 or 10 bucks!

Our DD is only 3 so it's ways off but one of her baby gifts was actually a tooth fairy pillow - it's a little tooth-shaped purple sparkly pillow with a pocket for leaving the tooth inside for the tooth fairy, then for the tooth fairy to leave the money!

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K.I.

answers from Chicago on

We did 5 gold dollars for the first tooth, but we found shortly thereafter that our daughter was more interested in little gifts. So, for the other teeth, she got a slide whistle, a charm necklace with her initial on it and some Scooby Doo silly bands.

We have a little tooth fairy pillow that holds the tooth, so it doesn't get lost, but we also wrap it in a tissue just to be sure.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

$5 for the first one and less for each one after that. and make sure you point out that the tooth fairy has no use for dirty teeth. they have to really brush good for the tooth fairy to want them.

something else we did was have them wrap the tooth in toilet paper and put it in an envelope addressed to the toothfairy. that way there was no searching around under the pillow looking for the tooth. if it is in an envelope its easier to locate lol

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

We always gave $5-$10 cash and sometimes added a gold coin

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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

At our house the Tooth Fairy's very first visit was special. She left $5. and the Lorax book (my daughter was very into that movie at that time). I made a big deal about how special the first tooth was and that the Tooth Fairy would probably not leave gifts as special as the first one for each tooth. Each tooth after the first the tooth fairy leaves $2. We also have a tooth pouch that the tooth is placed in and put on the shelf on the headboard. My daughter sleeps all over the bed, so we decided that the tooth fairy may not be able to find the tooth if my daughter put it under her pillow. Another hint, when my daughter was 7yrs old she lost her 7th tooth and she left a note for the tooth fairy reminding her that this tooth was "special" because it was the 7th while she was 7yrs old. So keep that in mind for the future. Be creative, it's fun!

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A.W.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter just lost her first tooth a few weeks ago. The Tooth Fairy left her $1. Because it was her first tooth the Tooth Fairy left her a gift as well (an etch a sketch). We know someone who leaves $20 a tooth! That kid has a gold mine in his mouth that's for sure! Crazy.

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

Our tooth fairy gives $5 for the first lost tooth and then it's $1 a tooth after that.
Our tooth fairy also leaves a note to my boys about how great their teeth look, how well they take care of them, and to continue brushing.
L.

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K.G.

answers from San Diego on

My daughter loved getting the gold dollar coins. You can get them at any bank

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C.S.

answers from Champaign on

It's $1 at our house.

R.T.

answers from Champaign on

I think a dollar is more than adequate but Ive seen others post $5 and up. I have 4 kids ranging in age from 25 down to a 5 year old that just lost her first 2 teeth last month. She was perfectly happy with the dollar.

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M.D.

answers from Victoria on

Our first tooth brings around 5.00. Many times I picked up little color books, stickers, misc. clearance items and stock pile for the toothfairy. We had 3 lost in 3 weeks and she got 3.00 per tooth. The plans for the final baby tooth is 20.00. Tooth Fairy must have gotten a raise since I was a kid :)

Sometimes the fairy leaves fairy dust around the bed. (colored glitter )

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

We do $5 for the first tooth (because it's so special :) and then $1 for each tooth after that. Another tip that I do - ok, so being the "toothfairy" can be kinda nerve racking - you know the possiblility of getting caught - and it can be very difficult to find that little tooth under the pillow, in the dark, while you're trying to be super quiet etc. What we do, is wrap the tooth in a papertowel and secure it with a piece of tape - like a little "tooth packet", after everyone has seen it of course :). Then I write on it with a marker "so and so's 1st tooth" you could also include the date. That way it's easier to find under the pillow and it's already labeled and goes directly into the toothfairies special tooth box!!!!

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J.H.

answers from Chicago on

We would give our son foreign paper money (sometimes coins) under his pillow. We would talk about the country it came from & how busy the tooth fairy was "flying" around the world. He knew other kids got local monies, but he would look forward to where the tooth fairy would have been the next time.

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V.L.

answers from Chicago on

We gave a quarter for each tooth lost and by the time they were done I think it was up to $3.00 or something. It's a little tough to keep track of but, I think it keeps them modest and keeps them from getting to money-grubbing.

K.B.

answers from Milwaukee on

for my son's first lost tooth i took two fifty cent pieces and covered them in glitter as fairy money for only the very first tooth. we still have the fairy money in his baby book. and he also got $5 too!!!

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B.J.

answers from Chicago on

This is probably too late, but we do golden dollars. It's relatively inexpensive, but unique at the same time!

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