Against the economic trends, milk teeth have continued to rise in value over the last half a century, according to a study carried out by Aquafresh. Over the past fifty years the price parent’s offer for their children’s baby teeth has risen ten-fold from 10p to £1, beating the 27% increase in petrol prices to become one of the most profitable commodities in the UK.
The research showed that 70% of parents are still leaving at least £1 from the tooth fairy, despite the recent reduction in living standards. Some children even manage to get more money out of their parents as incentive for brushing their teeth every day; amounting to £10 or more in some households. Many of today’s generation of parents received 50p or less when they were children themselves.
Leading dentist of Aqua Dental Spa, Neera Maini, said that ‘Dental decay is one of the biggest preventable diseases in the UK, so this is a perfect opportunity for parents to use milk teeth and haggle down prices to encourage children to brush. By simply paying less or nothing at all for decayed teeth, parents could improve their kid’s oral health and set good habits that will last a lifetime.’
According to the study, parents in Yorkshire were the most generous with 75% offering at least £1 per tooth, whereas their counterparts in the West Midlands were less giving; one in twenty didn’t leave anything from the tooth fairy at all.
Senior Brand Manager for Aquafresh, Lesley Stonier, said that ‘The fact that milk teeth are one of the most stable and profitable commodity markets in the UK is astonishing, and is a great incentive for kids to look after their teeth and brush twice a day.’