Lose a tooth, make a mint?

Back in the good ol' days (by which we mean the '80s), a quarter was an acceptable trinket from the Tooth Fairy. You could buy a cool drink at a lemonade stand for a shiny dime, weekly allowance for children's chores might set you back only a buck or two, and hiring good babysitting help didn't put parents out more than about $2 an hour.

These days, the Tooth Fairy may leave a shiny Sacagawea golden dollar, but she may also leave a crisp green Andrew Jackson.

"I thought I was probably not the typical parent," said Jennifer White, 31, whose son Chandler, 6, received a fairy-dusted note and $20 when his fifth tooth fell out. "But $20 seems to be a going rate for me, and evidently most of my friends."

White said most parents in her age group don't carry cash, relying mostly on credit and debit cards. So when the Tooth Fairy needs money, it usually means a trip to the ATM, which spits out $20 bills.

The Tooth Fairy can also work on a sliding scale. Five-year-old Kailey Dunham's first lost tooth will be worth more than her last.

"My daughter was informed that the Tooth Fairy was low-budget and only gifted items worth $1 to $10," mom Sonya Edwards said. "Ten dollars for first tooth, and then down the scale."

Magic dust as well as money

Tooth Fairy duty isn't just about money anymore, either.

When then-5-year-old Michala lost her first tooth, she informed mother Aimee Fortney, "I heard that the Tooth Fairy leaves magic dust and glitter all around your bed."

Pink sugar sprinkles were the best Fortney could muster on such short notice. "Fortunately, that worked!"

As Michala got older, the Tooth Fairy began leaving letters. They would address life lessons such as remembering to brush her teeth, but also to show them off, because "others saw love and the light shining with her smile." She received congratulations on good grades, for making it to the county competition for her 4H speech, and for showing kindness to others — all apparently things that make fairies happy.

During spring break this year, Michala, now 9, spent the week at her grandparents' house in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She lost a tooth and said, "I wonder if the Tooth Fairy will leave a letter this time?"

Her grandparents, speaking before they knew what they were getting themselves into, said, "Of course, I'm sure she will."

Michala then informed them, "She always writes it on her letterhead with a fairy picture!"

Sounds like the Tooth Fairy is rich and has an executive assistant.