It is official, the Tooth Fairy is tightening her belt and leaving less under the pillows of children in Ipswich.
According to a new survey, the average sum left for Ipswich children is £1.52 per tooth - down by 13p from £1.65 in the last four years.
However, a small minority of youngsters (2pc) get as much as £20 for each tooth that falls out - amounting to £400 for a full set of all 20 baby teeth.
The results came from a new survey of 2,000 parents by cosmetic dental brand Your Smile Direct, which found that, nationally, average payments had dropped by 10pc from £2.10 to £1.90 since 2015.
In the survey, 91pc of parents with children under five said they believed in the Tooth Fairy - the same figure as for Father Christmas.
More than a quarter of children get a £1 coin for each lost tooth, while 24pc get £2, and 14pc get less than £1 - most typically 50p.
A further 11pc get £5, 10%[c get £10, 3pc get between £10 and £20 and a lucky 2pc get more than £20.
Only 8pc of children never receive a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
The Tooth Fairy tradition is believed to be derived from the old Norse tradition of a “tooth fee”, which was paid when a child’s first milk tooth fell out.
A third of children in the survey spent their money on sweets, and another third on toys, while 21pc saved it, 7pc spent it on books and 5pc on clothes.
Dr Mark-Anthony Shepherd, lead dentist for Your Smile Direct, said: “It is a shame that a third of children are spending their Tooth Fairy money on sweets - that is the quickest way to ensure a further visit from the Tooth Fairy.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here