Something to chew on

In yet another sign the economy is improving -- at least for the newly toothless -- the Tooth Fairies of the nation were 44.6 percent more generous last year than just one year earlier.
That sad news for American parents was gleaned from the annual poll by the national dental insurance company, Delta Dental. The company has been tracking Tooth Fairy payouts since 1998 when a single tooth netted a kid about $1.25. The going rate in 2013, the poll found, was $3.50.
The 44.6 percent increase tooth losers enjoyed last year was better than the hefty 29.6 percent return investors in the S&P 500 got.