Tooth fairy generosity grows

Britain's children are in for a toothy treat, as new research reveals that the tooth fairy is worth an enormous £23.4million this year.

The Children's Mutual's annual Tooth Fairy Inflation Index reveals that despite the credit crunch and spiralling costs of living, the tooth fairy's generosity is ever increasing. The average cost of a child's tooth is now £1.22, up 16 per cent on last year alone which is five times higher than annual inflation figures.

Despite headlines on petrol price increases, the inflation of the tooth fairy outstrips petrol price inflation over the last 25 years. While the latter currently stands at 218 per cent, the inflationary rate of the tooth fairy is significantly higher at 258 per cent.

The Children's Mutual's research shows that today's lucky children could find over £24 under their pillow from all their teeth - much more than the £6.80 their parents would have received. And London's children's teeth are the most valuable, with almost one in 10 getting £5 or more per tooth, pocketing over £100 during their childhood years! Never have kids had more of an excuse to start wobbling those teeth.

But many parents suffer from ‘fairy pressure' according to the research. More than one in five (21 per cent) think they pay too much and nearly one in six (16 per cent) feel compelled to give their child the ‘market rate' for a tooth.

David White, Chief Executive of The Children's Mutual, said "Parents may think that being the tooth fairy is an expensive business, but the tooth fairy can help them talk to their children about the value of money. And for those parents determined to ‘stick to their gums' and avoid fairy pressure, perhaps they can persuade their children to consider saving their tooth money and get into good money habits from an early age."

While the ‘myth' of the tooth fairy has been around for centuries, its beginning and form differs significantly; Spain has a ‘tooth mouse' while some parts of Scotland have a ‘tooth rat'. In England, the origins of the tooth fairy are said to have started back in the 13th century, with stories of old witches who would lynch young children and use their teeth to make potions. Nowadays the tales around tooth fairies are far more timid, with the teeth being used to build fairy castles or ward off witches.