People increasingly choose to get their teeth straightened and whitened, and the evidence of this is clear when looking at pictures on social media. Even teenagers may feel like their teeth aren’t white enough when they look at the smiles of their friends. Parents will probably wonder whether Teeth Whitening in Waterford CT is recommended for kids of this age.
It’s important to ask the advice of a dentist when making this decision, but in general, starting to have teeth whitened between the ages of 16 and 18 should be acceptable. Many dentists would prefer that teens wait at least until age 18 because the pulp inside the teeth is larger than it will be in the adult years. Whitening could irritate that enlarged pulp.
Dentists do not recommend whitening baby teeth or adult teeth that have not been in place for at least a year. That usually means the minimum age for Teeth Whitening in Waterford CT would be around 14 years old if whitening would be done on all the teeth. It’s unusual for someone so young to have problems with noticeable discoloration, however.
The teenager may have noticed that younger kids, or those who still have baby teeth, have whiter smiles. That’s because these primary teeth typically are whiter than permanent teeth are. Dentin, which is the material immediately under the enamel, is lighter in primary teeth and also takes up a lesser percentage of space compared with the adult teeth. Teenagers would be better suited to comparing their smiles to those of kids their own age.
A young teenager may find that professional cleaning and polishing at a dental clinic such as Matyas & Matyas may be all that’s necessary to brighten the smile. Polishing done by a hygienist or dentist removes much of the staining that may have occurred if this youthful person likes to drink a lot of coffee, black tea or dark-colored soda or fruit juice. In the future, the teen might be able to quit drinking coffee and tea and perhaps switch to lighter-colored beverages. Using a straw also can help keep the fluids away from the teeth.
