In an unexpected twist in both fairy tale and financial news, our recent study has unveiled a startling figure: children in the UK are missing out on an unbelievable £18 million in Tooth Fairy payouts in 2024 due to the failure of keeping up with inflation.
Falling Behind on Fairy Economics
Traditionally, the Tooth Fairy has been a common figure of childhood, trading coins for baby teeth left under pillows. However, the fairy’s generosity hasn’t scaled with the rising costs of living.
Over the past decade, while the average amount left per tooth has crept up from £1.50 in 2013 to £1.80 in 2023, inflation has risen at a much faster rate. In a fair adjustment as per the rate of inflation (54.7% over ten years), each tooth today should fetch children around £3, marking a necessary correction in line with the current rates.
What This Means for Kids
The year-on-year difference might seem minor per child – a matter of pence rather than pounds. However, when you look across the approximately 15 million baby teeth lost each year in the UK, the shortfall adds up to millions.
In these 10 years where the amount given to children has only risen by 30p in total, UK children were missing out on a collective £180 million for their baby teeth.
How Kids Can Invoice the Tooth Fairy
To address this oversight, we’ve introduced a way children can invoice the Tooth Fairy and get the money they deserve for the teeth they’ve left under their pillow.
Here’s how your children can make sure they’re getting their fair share:
- Download our Tooth Fairy Invoice: Firstly, print out our invoice template here: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aqo-yf729qDWohmSSFUVO2LPc-Pk?e=IVLvTv
- Create Invoice: Once printed, kids can draw up a simple invoice listing the number of teeth lost, the total amount due (use our table below to find out), and a polite note to the Tooth Fairy.
- Leave the Invoice Under the Pillow: Along with the usual tooth, children can leave their invoice under their pillow. It’s a creative way to remind the Tooth Fairy of her financial obligations.
How much were your kids owed last year?
Take a look at the table below to find out how much the Tooth Fairy owes your kids for their teeth over the past year.
Kids, count how many teeth you lost in 2023, and then find how much to invoice* the Tooth Fairy using the table below!
*An invoice is a letter you can send the Tooth Fairy asking them for your money.
| Number of Teeth Lost Last Year | Money Owed |
| 1 tooth | £1.20 |
| 2 teeth | £2.40 |
| 3 teeth | £3.60 |
| 4 teeth | £4.80 |
| 5 teeth | £6.00 |
| 6 teeth | £7.20 |