Parents are sometimes concerned that their child's teeth look yellow or discoloured, and wonder if teeth whitening would be helpful. Our Surrey dentists advise against teeth whitening for children and young teens. Here's why...
Concerned parents sometimes ask us about the dark or yellowish colour of their children's newly erupting adult teeth. They wonder if having their child's teeth whitened would be a good idea.
However, our dentists will not prescribe teeth whitening for children or young teens.
Baby teeth and adult teeth are naturally different colours. Adult teeth have considerably more dentin in them than baby teeth. Dentin is the second layer of the teeth under the enamel, and tends to be a yellowish colour. Dentin is what makes adult teeth appear darker and discoloured when compared to the remaining baby teeth.
Parents typically find that once all the baby teeth have fallen out, the darker colour of the adult teeth will be much less apparent.
Another reason we don't recommend teeth whitening for children and young teens is that the scientific community doesn't really know if the whitening gel will negatively affect teeth that are still developing.
We just don't have enough data 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, that's why our dentists will only prescribe teeth whitening for older teens or adults looking to brighten their smiles.