Following the Dow Jones to see how the economy is doing? You might want to check another economic indicator: The Tooth Fairy Index.

The promising news—for kids, anyway—is that the Tooth Fairy is paying out an average of $2.13 per tooth this year, up 13 percent from last year. According to a national poll sponsored by (no surprise) Delta Dental of Minnesota, the Tooth Fairy pays anywhere from 5 cents to $50 for recently-lost baby teeth placed carefully under pillows before bedtime.

Among the 1,500 parents polled nationwide, 86 percent said the state of the economy did not have an effect on tooth prices paid in their households. With 20 baby teeth to lose, the average kid can expect to earn around $40 or so. As goes the Tooth Fairy, so goes the nation.

To keep baby and adult teeth their healthiest, check out Consumer Reports guide to dental care. And if your child uses a pacifier, it may be time to give it up in the interest of better teeth. No word if the Tooth Fairy pays for those too…—Desiree Ferenczi