10 Hudson Valley Parent
n
Spring 2020
Question: My child's friends have
started to lose their teeth; why has my
child not lost a tooth yet?
Dr. Reddy: Dif-
ferent kids lose
their teeth at differ-
ent ages. It's normal
for kids to lose their
first tooth some-
time between 5 and
8 years old—that's
anytime from kin-
dergarten to third
grade. Also, the
earlier a child's first
teeth come in, the earlier they tend to
lose them, and smaller kids typically lose
their teeth later than larger children do.
Still, when your child's friends are
losing teeth and yours isn't, your child
might feel badly about missing out on
the experience. And kids aren't the only
ones. Parents and children's friends also
are excited about this sign of growing
up. Some teachers even display class-
room posters that show when students
in the class lose a tooth. Plus, many kids
are excited to lose a tooth and have a
visit from the Tooth Fairy. It'll come.
Children have their baby teeth for
years before losing them to their perma-
nent ones, which begin to form by the
time they're six months
old. Keep all their teeth
healthy by seeing a pedi-
atric dentist before your
child's first birthday. Learn
what to watch for, how
to help protect your child
from dental decay and
how exciting it can be for
your youngstser to visit
the dentist.
Varsha Reddy, DDS,
Children's Dentistry of the
Palisades, Orangeburg. Dr.
Reddy earned her Doctorate
of Dental Surgery from New
York University College of
Dentistry and completed her
pediatric dental residency at
Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Varsha Reddy, DDS
Children's Dentistry
of the Palisades
Orangeburg
