Even the Tooth Fairy's rates are rising

If it seems like you can't get out of bed without the cost of gas, food or services going up, now comes news that the going rate for lost baby teeth has also spiked.

The Tooth Fairy last year left an average of $2.42 per lost tooth, a jump of 15.2% from 2011, according to a poll from insurance company Delta Dental. That rise comes after the Tooth Fairy hit on tough times in 2011, when the per-tooth gift declined. 

The higher rates for lost baby teeth might not be all bad news, however. Dental Dental says its "Original Tooth Fairy Poll" actually correlates to the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX), with the poll and the stock index moving in tandem in nine of the last 10 years. 

Last year, the S&P 500 jumped 13.4%, almost matching the Tooth Fairy's 15.2% gain, the poll says. 

All teeth aren't created equal, the survey found. The Tooth Fairy is most generous for a child's first tooth. That milestone in a kid's adult-tooth development is marked with a gift of $3.49, on average. 

The Tooth Fairy visited almost 90% of U.S. homes where children lost a tooth, and the gift of choice was cash (for 98% of children). The other 2% of tooth-losers received toys, candy, gum or other gifts. 

More than one-fifth of kids hit it big, with the Tooth Fairy leaving $5 for each lost tooth. The most common amount left under the pillow, however, was $1, with about half of all kids receiving a George Washington in exchange.

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