The Great Tooth Debate

What is the value of a tooth?

Seriously . . . how much is a tooth worth?

This is a serious debate in our house.  "When I was a kid" we got a quarter for every tooth we lost.  According to the inflation calculator, what was worth a quarter in 1983 is now worth $0.55.  So, I would think that any teeth lost and placed under a pillow should earn approximately two quarters . . . maybe three if the tooth fairy is feeling generous, likes to round up, and can wrangle three quarters from the bottom of her overstuffed purse. Sounds fair, right?

However, upon talking to some other family and friends, the going rate seems to be between $1 and $5.  Some really generous fairies even give $10.  Seriously?  Ten Dollars for a tooth?  It isn't like losing a tooth is a difficult task.  Without any work at all they will eventually fall out, right?  I know that Peanut (and probably all children) wiggle and fiddle with them incessantly, but that isn't necessary for the end result.  Doesn't that seem a little high?

I want to teach my children the value of a dollar.  I want them to understand that you have to work hard to earn money...Money doesn't grow on trees...A penny saved is a penny earned...and other such famous sayings.  However, I don't want them to wonder why the tooth fairy likes their friends' teeth better than theirs.  Do you think kids compare how much they get under their pillows?

Right now, Peanut gets 6 quarters for each tooth lost.  We've decided on 6 since she is 6 years old.  If one day the tooth fairy can't find 6 quarters, she might get 6 dimes, nickels or pennies, but almost certainly not 6 dollars.  This tooth fairy just can't rationalize that kind of spending.

What is the value of a tooth in your house?

The first tooth

Peanut, my oldest daughter, has recently experienced several milestones.

• She celebrated her 6th birthday!
• She graduated from Kindergarten!
• She learned to ride a bike without training wheels! (Yeah, I know I should have done it earlier, but I was a little lazy.  It was a daunting task.)
• She lost her first tooth! :o)

As soon as she lost her tooth I knew that I wanted to get her something special to celebrate this grand occasion.  I was thinking that I might be able to find a nice tooth charm that I could have engraved with the date she lost the tooth.  As I searched, I came up empty-handed.  Most of the charms were not very attractive to me - but then again, I guess it can be hard to make a tooth cute.  I even found one place that takes your lost teeth, preserves them, and plates them in gold or silver.  While the resulting product is kind of cute, I also found it to be a little creepy.  I was also worried about Peanut losing the necklace which would be her actual first tooth.  Even though I don't know what I'm going to do with that tooth, I prefer to know that it is still safe with me.  While Le Knockout wasn't for me, it might be just right for some of you.

Eventually I happened upon The Ultimate Tooth Fairy.  It is a site that has tooth fairy gifts and letters for girls and boys.  As soon as I saw the Girls Tooth Fairy Memory Locket, I knew I had to have it.  From the website:

This personalized locket is the perfect way to remember that special day your little one lost their first tooth! Personalize the outside with your child's name and on the inside stamp the date they lost their 1st tooth.
A freshwater pearl hangs in the center as a magical reminder of that 1st tooth. The sterling silver locket (not physically locked) measures 3/4" in diameter (size of a nickel), then domed to cup the "tooth". Strung on a sterling silver 16" ball chain.

At $39, I found the necklace to be very reasonably priced.  I was also very happy with how quickly it arrived.  The necklace came with a drawstring bag, polishing cloth and directions on how to take care of it to keep it looking new as long as possible. 

Since receiving the necklace Peanut and I have received countless compliments from people that have seen it.  Several people have asked where I found it so that they can be prepared when their daughter's lose their first tooth.  In fact, I have already bookmarked the site so that when Pumpkin loses her first tooth I can order one for her as well. 

*Note:  The product was ordered from The Ultimate Tooth Fairy and came from MagPie Designz.   If your child is past or not yet ready for the first tooth stage, I recommend you check out her site for some other gorgeous jewelry in different designs.

*Note 2:  The image was taken from The Ultimate Tooth Fairy website with permission from the owner.

*Disclaimer:  I did not receive any compensation for this post.  All opinions and experiences are my own.