# So how much is a tooth worth these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 18, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432 "2003-09-18T18:21:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/1 "2003-09-18T18:21:34Z")
My oldest son just lost his first tooth… I’m curious as to what the toothfairy usually brings for the pearly whites these days. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/2 "2003-09-18T18:23:41Z")
At my house it’s $1. Not a whole lot of money, but a 4-fold increase since I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/3 "2003-09-18T18:33:57Z")
It all depends on how it got knocked out and how good your personal injury lawyer is. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/4 "2003-09-18T18:38:39Z")
Hm. **Zenster** , what was that you were saying about cynicism? **SD** , I give a dollar. Four quarters, so they can say they have “lots of money.” I still have the baby teeth, packed away in my hope chest. I think we’re pretty much done, now that they’re 13 & 10. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/5 "2003-09-18T18:40:27Z")
It’s $1 here, too. Did you know that the tooth fairy will accept a picture of the lost tooth if you REALLY lose it? (She also finds you when you’re camping a whole state away!) ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/6 "2003-09-18T18:46:12Z")
She also accepts signed letters from daddies promising that the tooth really was lost. [sub]I still have the letter my dad wrote.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/7 "2003-09-18T18:50:18Z")
Our tooth fairy brings a shiny silver dollar. I happen to know that she’s got a few fancy new gold sacajawea dollars stashed in her purse, but no one’s lost a tooth for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/8 "2003-09-18T20:07:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maureen \* > Hm. **Zenster** , what was that you were saying about cynicism? … Cynicism, feh! I’m talking capitalism! PS: **Maureen** , could you make it to [La Casita](http://mapsonus.switchboard.com/bin/maps-maponly/usr=~3f6a0fd2.eacf.3793.9/c=1/refsrc=SB.twp/isredir=1/) in Fremont for lunch sometime? They have the best _tacos dorado_ in the south bay. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/9 "2003-09-18T20:09:01Z")
Wow, inflation’s really socking it to the tooth fairy since I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/10 "2003-09-18T20:16:00Z")
As I recall, back in '74 she also gave a bonus if you lost both front teeth on the same day. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/11 "2003-09-18T20:26:35Z")
It was 10 cents when I was a kid, so now I guess it should be 50 cents for a kindergartner, 75 cents for a second grader, and one dollar for a fourth grader. After that tell the kid that if he wants money he should quit yanking his teeth out and instead go mow the neighbors lawns or something. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/12 "2003-09-18T20:34:01Z")
We asked my 6-year-old this question and without any detectible lack of seriousness and also without missing a beat she replied, “About 20 bucks.” She actually got one Sacajawea for each tooth. Fortunately she’s still at the stage where pretty trumps value. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/13 "2003-09-18T20:47:06Z")
[hijack] **Zenster** , La Casita is one of my favorite places. Is the party still on for the 27th, or just you and me? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/14 "2003-09-18T20:55:34Z")
Most kids don’t lose teeth until about first grade, although some undoubtedly will in kindergarten and some may not lose their first tooth until second grade. We’ve also gone with Sacajawea dollars, which look like golden treasure when nicely polished. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/15 "2003-09-18T21:00:25Z")
My daughter presented me with a “tooth” she had lost. To her credit, it really did look like a tooth, but was a white rock. However, I dutifully said, “Put it under your pillow tonight, Sweetie.” After she was asleep, I put a fist-sized rock under her pillow and a note from the tooth fairy not to try that sort of nonsense again. She was pretty bug-eyed in the morning… ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/16 "2003-09-18T23:30:37Z")
I say $10. 😃 No, actually, $1 seems to be the going rate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/17 "2003-09-19T00:05:09Z")
My husband thought the Sacajawea dollar was an excellent idea… so since the banks are closed he’s gonna go buy some stamps out of the PO vending machine to get a couple… that way there’s a spare for the next tooth. 😃 Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/18 "2003-09-19T00:06:06Z")
Awww…what a good daddy!! ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Simple\_Dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Dreamer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/19 "2003-09-19T00:07:48Z")
The trick will be keeping the child asleep while the tooth fairy does the slip-the-$-under-the-pillow trick. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432/20 "2003-09-19T00:15:52Z")
How much is a tooth worth? [Depends where you find it.](http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=48718) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-is-a-tooth-worth-these-days/202432.md?page=2)