National Tooth Fairy Day is a fitting time to talk about children’s oral health. The United States and some other countries observe the tradition of a child who loses a tooth putting it under their pillow expecting a visit by the Tooth Fairy, during which the lost tooth is exchanged for money or a treat. In the United States, there are two National Tooth Fairy Days, one in February and one in August. In my opinion, there can’t be too many days set aside to talk about the importance of oral health and its role in overall health, because everyone deserves a healthy smile!
There are many ways to celebrate National Tooth Fairy Day on August 22. One is using it as a reminder to be a good example by making a dental appointment if you are not visiting your dentist regularly yourself. Another is talking to your children about the importance of oral health and watching for opportunities to keep them motivated to care for their teeth and gums (like visiting a museum featuring a display on teeth or dentistry).
Wondering how much the Tooth Fairy pays per tooth? For 26 years, Delta Dental has tracked U.S. Tooth Fairy giving trends to spotlight the importance of children’s oral health. The 2024 Original Tooth Fairy Poll® showed that the average value of a single lost tooth during the past year declined by 6% from $6.23 to $5.84. This represents the first year-over-year decline in Tooth Fairy giving in five years. The poll was conducted between January 3 and January 17, 2024, among 1,000 parents of children ages 6 to 12. Visit the Original Tooth Fairy Poll® for more details.
Sometimes children’s oral health programs use the persona of the Tooth Fairy to make children comfortable learning about oral health, receiving preventive dental care and being referred to a dental office for restorative treatment. Northeast Delta Dental has funded some of these programs, including one that was highlighted in an opinion piece in NH Business Review recently by the president of the New Hampshire Dental Hygienists’ Association, Jennifer Pearl. She tells readers about the successful Traveling Tooth Fairies Dental Initiative providing free cavity prevention and dental referrals to elementary and middle school kids in Nashua, which was identified with a high number of untreated dental decay among school-age children. Two certified public health dental hygienists originated and run the nonprofit program. In addition to our support, it’s supported by DHHS, the Nashua school system, the City of Nashua, the Lions Club and others, but an ongoing source of revenue is needed to ensure its sustainability. Since it started last November, the Traveling Tooth Fairies have screened over 800 elementary and middle school students, referred more than 220 children to dental care providers, placed over 6,000 dental sealants and offered the application of fluoride varnishes.
The Traveling Tooth Fairies, and other portable oral health outreach programs, fill an invaluable role in overcoming a variety of barriers to dental care, including social, economic and geographic obstacles. Collaborative public health oral health initiatives that are effective, successful and sustainable should be seen as models for possible replication state and regionwide.
