Wow! This is how much a lost tooth is worth in New Jersey

Think back to when you were a kid and the excitement of putting your lost tooth under the pillow and waiting for a visit from the tooth fairy. Then look under your pillow the following morning to see the tooth is gone with money left behind.

For some of us, it might've been something as simple as a quarter. For others, perhaps a dollar. Maybe the tooth fairy was extra kind and left a little extra for that first lost tooth.

Simpler times for many of us, when that was one of our biggest concerns. Of course, now we pay through the roof for insurance and visits to the dentist to keep those teeth healthy, but that's a topic for a different day.

I remember growing up and thinking about what I could buy for a dollar or less. As a kid with newly found money from a lost tooth, I wanted to get what most children probably wanted. Candy and junk food.

And a lot of it was cheaper than a dollar, so if that's what the tooth fairy left me, I knew I could treat myself well.

Fast forward to today, and boy have things become more expensive. Between the huge minimum wage hike, inflation, and everything else going on, a dollar just doesn't seem to cut it anymore.

My boys are currently at that age where we'll be getting multiple visits from the tooth fairy. So the question for us parents is simple: Should the tooth fairy leave more money behind for children in New Jersey?

Now some may ask, why more for New Jersey? Well for one, if that has to be asked, you're probably not from the state. Any of us who live here know how much more expensive it is for almost anything in other states.

And this isn't the fault of our kids, it's just how it is living in the Garden State. So it's only natural for a larger payday when it comes to a missing tooth. The big question is, how much should it be?

My twin sons, who are now eight, have lost quite a few teeth now and have racked up a pretty penny from the tooth fairy between them. So far, $5 was left for the first tooth and $2 for the rest.

But, should it be more for those after the first? Or, would a dollar or two be adequate as a fair exchange for all the remaining teeth?

With that said, let's have a little fun and see what we all collectively think.

Considering how expensive things are today in New Jersey, what would be a fair amount for our kids when it comes to losing a tooth? Chime in on the comments and poll question below.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.