Tooth fairy's financial strains

The recession has hit hard for everyone - and the tooth fairy is no exception.

Gone are the days of waking up to a collection of gold and silver coins underneath your pillow - these days, kids are lucky to find more than a gold coin in place of a tooth.

An American poll found that kids are finding on average US$2.10 ($2.50) under their pillows after leaving a lost tooth for the tooth fairy.

That's about a 15 per cent drop from 2010, when American children received an average of US$2.52.

In the Western Bay, the going rate seems to be just below children in the United States - local kids can expect to receive a $2 coin for every tooth they lose.

At Greenpark School yesterday, six-year-old Jaskaran Singh showed off his holey grin. He lost five teeth in recent weeks, the last being on Monday, but already an adult tooth has pushed up into the gap.

"Some of my teeth were wiggly so I tried pulling them, then I pulled the other one at the same time and both the top and the bottom one came out.

"I got $2, $2, and $1 and $5 for them. I want to get more money and save it up for a Playstation."

But for student Brylee McBain, who has seven gaps in her mouth, the tooth fairy was a little more generous. She received a $10 note for two teeth that came out at the same time.

Parent Kyleigh O'Sullivan said the tooth fairy gave her daughter Grace $2, but the five-year-old didn't seem too impressed. "So I expressed that that's a lot of weight for the tooth fairy to carry." Grace replied: "Notes aren't heavy".