These days, children in the age group of seven to 10 years and teenagers are influenced by the dazzling white smiles of celebrities like Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz. So, it’s not surprising that at an early age, kids want to have perfectly white smiles. But surely this is not teeth whitening age!
Most over-the-counter teeth whitening products are not recommended for children below 12 years. These include teeth whitening strips, gels, pens and mouth guards. But children are permitted to use mouth rinses, flosses, whitening toothpastes and gums. Parents should check the labels of whitening products to see if they are safe to use on children.
However, one must remember that children’s permanent teeth are never as white as their primary teeth. In time, children will grow into their own distinctive set of teeth, with their own size and color of teeth. Dentists call this “toilet bowl teeth” since children who undergo teeth whitening treatments have perfectly white teeth-just like the porcelain of toilet bowls.
If products are moderate in bleaching agent content, they should be considered usable. But on an average, it’s good to know that over 60% of children using teeth whitening products suffer from gum irritation and teeth sensitivity, which they usually find very traumatic to bear.
Children can have their teeth bleached to get rid of stains or yellowish teeth color. In such cases, trays should be used with the least concentration of bleaching agent. They should be used for many days, but not many hours a day and under professional supervision. What makes it safe and advisable for kids is that this bleaching treatment will affect color evenly over the tooth area.
Besides, pulpal damage is also highly likely. This refers to the tooth of the nerve or the pulp chamber of the child being enlarged until then. In this situation, teeth whitening treatments could only irritate the pulp or make it overly sensitive.
Considering that these problems are usually resolved by the time the individual is about 16-18 years, we can safely say that the right age for teeth whitening is 18 years. Anything under that should be seen on a case to case basis by the dentist who will determine whether the patient is of teeth whitening age or not.
Further, there is the possibility of hypersensitivity to set in if teenagers under 18 years of age continue to bleach their teeth using whitening systems. So, care should be taken to see that teeth whitening process is not addictive for teenagers, and done only to fulfill a narcissistic desire to look beautiful always.
Often, children might also have problems of stained or discolored teeth due to eating certain kinds of dark foods or drinking colas. They can safely opt for bleaching their teeth but by light methods. If they do, they should be a minimum age of 18 as otherwise their tooth sensitivity is far too great.
Parents should consider inculcating good eating habits in their children rather than opt for whitening treatments that could damage the latter’s teeth. The age for teeth whitening has come, but children must wait awhile unless absolutely necessary.