How Much Does the Tooth Fairy Give for a Tooth?

Updated on September 08, 2010
B.T. asks from Oviedo, FL
29 answers

My oldest daughter is on the verge of losing her first tooth. How much does the tooth fairy leave for a tooth these days?

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So What Happened?

Wow! Thanks everyone for all of the responses! We will probably go with a dollar, maybe a little more for the first one. I do like the idea of the $2 bill too. I used to get those from my great-grandfather when I was younger and was always fascinated by them. Thanks again for all the advice, you gals are great!

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K.F.

answers from Boca Raton on

My parents always left a Two Dollar Bill. Since those are something you don't see often it was a special bill the Tooth Fairy gives. I always thought it was so cool to have a Two Dollar Bill, so I plan on doing the same for my children!

1 mom found this helpful

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T.M.

answers from Orlando on

I have a 15month old so it will be a while before I have to think about this stuff...but I read an idea years ago that has really stuck with me.
My plan is to give my son coins from other countries for each tooth lost. The amount of the coins is not relevant, just that they come from other countries. (Along with this will come a story about how the tooth fairy has money from all over the world since she travels everywhere to collect teeth. We might even have a ditzy tooth fairy that just can't seem to remember that my little guy lives in the USA and thus he gets coins from all over the place.)
This may become difficult with so many countries using the euro, rather than their own currency, but I'm hopeful I can scrounge up some deuchmarks or francs when the time comes...or perhaps a canadian quarter. ;)

2 moms found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

We always put a few various coins, a different amount everytime, whatever is in our pockets, usually. I make sure it is at least over a dollar so they can buy something from a dollar section or get a candy of some sort, and then we always include a little toy, maybe chapstick for a girl, or a matchbox car or mini starwars guy, a baby my little pony, etc. Stickers are always fun. You could even start a sticker tradition, and for the first tooth, you could make a mini sticker scrapbook that has room for a story about how they lost each tooth, a picture and a blank page to put the stickers on. Throughout the years, even into the teenage ones, your kids will see what type of stickers thy got each time, which will coorelate to what they are into at the time. Spiderman, batman, cars, etc. Or ponies, strawberry shortcake, barbie, jonas brothers, hannah montana, etc. On another note, I, the tooth fairy, have failed to remember to give my child their "gift" on more than one occasion because by the time they were asleep, I had forgot and went to bed. So...we made up a story. The Tooth fairy isn't Santa, she can't get all over the world in one night, so leave your tooth out and when she is passing over Florida, she will stop in. Maybe she's in Africa tonight, or Ireland...what about Austrailia? We got the kids wondering how many nights is woudl take for her to be "in our area". ;-)

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J.L.

answers from Miami on

I've heard of some tooth fairies leaving outrageous amounts of money under the pillows of my five year old's friends, but our tooth fairy has a budget (and some common sense)! After putting her first tooth under her pillow, my daughter awoke to find a note from the tooth fairy congratulating her and encouraging her practice good dental hygiene. Along with the note was some fluoride rinse and $2. After the second tooth, she left another note, $2 (in coins -- for counting practice)and a pack of sugarless gum. My daughter was delighted. I think she liked the notes and goodies more than the money!

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I like the idea of change. But, at least for my kids, they don't think of it as any big deal... they have been spoiled with change from grandparents and aunts and uncles to the point that it means nothing to them. I gave my son a $2 bill for his first. After that, I stocked up on small toys and we did those for awhile. He is 10 now, and has lost 4 teeth in the past 3 or 4 months alone! (I guess this is the age).. so I have periodically been caught without anything on hand (he will pull the tooth out at bedtime without any warning that he has a loose one until just before he pulls it out...) I have been giving him 2 single dollar bills when I don't have a toy on hand. His last toy was a metal slinky... Little sis still gets small toys (yo-yo, etc).. But she hasn't hit a tooth losing streak yet like brother. And she works at hers for WEEKS before they come out, so I have plenty of time to prepare.
So, my advice would be, to mix it up a little. When they lose a tooth on vacation for the first time, you will be glad that some cash from your wallet will suffice. LOL.
(it has happened to us TWICE). My daughter's tooth came out in a fast food bathroom on a road trip to grandma's house...

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V.M.

answers from Miami on

My grandson is 6 and I just left him a dollar bill. He was
so happy. We uset to get a quarter and that was a big deal. lol. Im sure what every you leave will make her happy.

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L.H.

answers from Miami on

my son just lost his first tooth, too!
so we gave him 5 quarters because he is 5...

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Y.F.

answers from Orlando on

In my opinion the first tooth is the most special. We told our son that the first tooth would be 5$ and the rest are a $1.00. He was thrilled. He sometimes gets something at his grandparents and they tell him that the tooth fairy went by there house to. ;)

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D.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

For my sons first tooth I gave him $2 and then $1 for the other ones that fell out later. When my daughter lost her first tooth she actually lost 2 on the same day so we setteled on $5 for both because it was such a special day to loose 2 on the same day and them be her first teeth out. Each one after will only be $1

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T.S.

answers from Tallahassee on

Hi B.,
When our 5 year old lost her first tooth, we felt it was best to give her several coins since she couldn't count them yet and it would look to her like a lot of money! But when she lost her second front tooth not long after, she expected paper money and was disappointed the tooth fairy had left her coins. I still think they should start off with coins, but we will be doing dollars from now on! I explained to her that some teeth were worth more to the tooth fairy, that it depended on how white and clean they are, or how big. Hope that helps.

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W.M.

answers from Orlando on

Aw... How Sweet! I used to give only a quarter, but that was a long time ago. With the cost of living these days, perhaps give her just enough to buy a chocolate bar or cookie that she likes. Or, if she is saving money already, give her coins that will make her piggy bank jingle.

Good luck and God bless!

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P.E.

answers from Panama City on

molars $1,000,000.00 smaller teeth $500,00.00
for real about a quarter 39 yrs ago I got a dime the fairy could leave a coupon for Mac Donalds etc. or a trip to a zoo or play place beachetc. gift.

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C.M.

answers from Miami on

Our tooth fairy left dollars (but the coin type) ... that made them extra special!!! Molars had the golden Sacajawea dollars.

I've heard some ridiculous 5 & 10 tooth fairies, but that's just outrageous.

:) C.

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

B.,

My son is 6 and has lost several teeth. We unfortunately did not get most of those teeth because he either swallowed them or lost them in the dirt, however the tooth fairy still left him a dollar for each tooth lost. I think that for such young children you really don't want to go over that.

Good luck.

S.
35 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
13, 6 and 3

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S.T.

answers from Orlando on

Since the first tooth my kids lost they have received $2. I have been told I am cheap by my parents but until about the last couple teeth I have made sure I had a $2 bill & tha is how they had their $2 bills...every time they lost a tooth. It is funny b/c they don't want to spend the $2 bills like they will the $1 bills. LOL!

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J.H.

answers from Pensacola on

Maybe I am just a little old school on this one. But, we got change, the kind that jingles when we were kids. I suppose that was whatever could be scraped up or just so as not to set the precedence for looking for the kind of money that folds. I followed this with my kids. Because they were young, all of the pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters I had in my change purse at the time always made them happy to hear the noise it made going into the piggy bank or in some plastic thing in their rooms to hide away. They seemed thrilled to load their pockets and go to the PX to buy a treat or toy with it.
We also put the money in a sandwich bag and tied the top with a paper ribbon so that the money would not roll out.

Good luck!
Jen

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T.S.

answers from Panama City on

$1.00 for each tooth. If she has a particularly hard one to pull, I would go $2.00 since it was so difficult.
T.
Mom of 4

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J.G.

answers from Orlando on

I think we did $5 for the first tooth and then I was collecting the $1 coins and use those for the rest. She just lost her first molar, so I gave her 2 of the $1 gold coins, when she found them in the morning, she gave one each to her other sisters. I was so shocked. I am glad I gave her the extra one, her thoughtfulness was worth it!

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M.C.

answers from Miami on

Hi B.!

wow my husband and I were just discussing this last night. My brother and sister in-law just gave their daughter $5, and personally I felt that was alot. My husband and I agreed on a $1 per tooth. But our son is just over 1 so who knows what we will end up doing, but that is what some parents are giving.
Hope this helps!

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C.B.

answers from New York on

B., there is no magical amount for any tooth lost. Just know that if you give a large amount the first time, it will be expected the next times and great disappointment will result if that expected amount is not recieved. I think you'd be surprised how excited a child is when they find a quarter, or two dimes, or 3 nickels, or 10 pennies under their pillow.

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A.G.

answers from Mayaguez on

For my kids I had a pillowcase with a small pocket sewn on it. Whoever was about to loose a tooth, got to use it. For my grandaughter I crosstitched a tooth fairy pillow.
She got a dollar for her first. She was so happy about it, it could have been a million! Remember it's more about the surprise than the actual amount.--But beware, the larger the amount the first time, the more she'll want next time!

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L.W.

answers from Montgomery on

I gave my eight year old a quarter for his first few. Now that he's a bit older, he is well aware that it's me and I just put the quarters in a jar of money he's collecting. It's not much, but the budget is tight here :) Plus I have a six year old who will also start losing his soon.

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L.G.

answers from Melbourne on

Hi B.,
I don't know about anybody else but I gave my daughter $10.00 for her first tooth and a dollar for any after that. I made the first tooth a big deal for the tooth fair to get and that she only pays big for the first one. I also have keep her first tooth for my scrapbook. I told her that the tooth fair left me her first tooth so that we could remember it. Hope this helps. They sure grow up fast don't they.

God Bless

L.

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K.K.

answers from Gainesville on

I asked this question ages ago with no responses. Since then, I have decided to give the gold dollar coins for the tooth fairy. I plan on 2 dollars for the first tooth and one dollar there after. We have a special box set aside for teeth collecting and a cool pillowcase an eldery friend made for money collecting :)

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K.G.

answers from Miami on

my kids are teens now, but our tooth fairy left a dollar....and when they had a tooth pulled, it was $5! She felt sorry for them.....

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H..

answers from Orlando on

I think we did a bit more for the first, but $1 for every one after that. There is a really adorable Tooth Pirate stuffed animal (and a Tooth Fairy one, too) at this website

https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/ecommerce/control/keywo...

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B.P.

answers from Miami on

Hi B.,
Because we found early on that $1 had to be supplemented for our son to get anything, our tooth fairy leaves a small present (under $5). It could be a new book that he wants or a for a boy a mini-lego set or sometimes a coupon to go get ice cream with mom and dad after dinner. It also saved us from our other two sons wanting to know where there dollar was! Sometimes our tooth fairy will leave dollar store toys for the other two (stickers, color book or crayons). They are thrilled and while it may seem like more, in our case it saved us from having to supplement the $1 we thought was appropriate (if they are going to get more, I want to control what it is on and not have another Power Ranger or such under my feet!).

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V.

answers from Melbourne on

I guess I'm a bit of a cheap skate, cause more than a dollar sounds like a bit much to me. I usually just give a couple coins. There was one tooth that we forgot to give money at night and I felt terrible about it. So I had my hubby distract her while I wrote a letter from the tooth ferry that she was very sorry it was late, but that she was so busy with so many others she couldn't get to hers on time. I think I gave a couple dollars that time. She has always been very happy to get any money from the tooth fairy, but she seemed even more happy to get a personal letter from her.

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