Parents are sometimes concerned that their children's teeth are yellow or discoloured, and wonder if teeth whitening could help to address the issue. Our Surrey dentists advise against teeth whitening for children and young teens, here's why...
Often parents wonder why their child's adult teeth appear to be dark or yellowish in colour, and wonder if teeth whitening could help to brighten their child's smile and correct the apparent discolouration.
Teeth whitening for young teens or children is not prescribed by our dentists for a couple of reasons.
Baby Teeth and Adult Teeth are Naturally Different Colours
Dentin is a yellowish substance that makes up the second layer of the teeth, just under the enamel. Adult teeth have much more dentin, than baby teeth do. That's why adult teeth are darker and may appear to be discoloured when compared to the remaining baby teeth.
Once all of the child's whiter baby teeth have fallen out, the darker colour of the adult teeth will less noticeable.
Not Enough Scientific Data on Teeth Whitening for Children
The fact is that the scientific community doesn't really know if the whitening gel will negatively affect teeth that are still developing. There just isn't enough data available on the subject for us to make an informed decision about whether teeth whitening is safe for children and younger teens.
Your family's health is our priority! Which is why our dentists will only recommend teeth whitening to brighten the smiles of older teens and adults.