Hey, at least one thing is getting cheaper . . .

Friday is National Tooth Fairy Day.  And Dental Dental's annual poll for it found the average payout per tooth FELL 14% since last year.

The average tooth is now worth $5.01, down from $5.84 a year ago.  Sorry kids . . . times are tough.  A first tooth is worth a little more, $6.24.  But even that dropped 12% from $7.09.

Kids in the South get paid the most, $5.71 . . . followed by kids out West, $5.69 . . . the Northeast, $4.59 . . . and the Midwest, just $3.46 per tooth.

It's the second year in a row payouts have fallen.  The overall average hit an all-time high of $6.23 a tooth back in 2023.

The Tooth Fairy has still outpaced inflation though.  When the poll launched in 1998, the average was $1.30 per tooth.  That's like $2.55 today.