Tooth fairy inflation makes losing teeth big business



Long gone are the days of finding a quarter or even a dollar under your pillow. The Tooth Fairy is getting more generous, leaving American children an average of $3.70 per lost tooth this year, according to a new Visa Inc. survey. That's up 23% from last year's $3 per tooth.

The fairy was most generous to children in the Northeast, who earned an average of $4.10 per tooth, CNN reported. In the Midwest, children received $3.30 per tooth; and the South and West fell in the middle, at $3.60 and $3.70, respectively.

Male tooth fairies leave more than female, and in 36% of households, tooth fairies left less than a dollar.

Families with a household income of $40,000 to $45,000 gave more than any other income group.

Visa Inc.'s annual survey, based on 3,000 telephone interviews, reported that 90% of U.S. households will be receiving a visit from the Tooth Fairy this year. Jason Alderman, senior director of global financial education for Visa Inc., said the reason for that might be that it's an "area where parents can feel like they can be generous."

Read more from CNN here.