Parents are often concerned that their child's adult teeth look yellow and discoloured, and wonder if professional teeth whitening might help to correct this issue. Here is why our Surrey and Delta dentists at Surdel Dental Centre advise against teeth whitening for children and young teens.
Parents often express their concern about the colour of their young son or daughter's new adult teeth. These newly erupted teeth appear to be yellowish in colour or darker than the child's other teeth. Concern about the apparent discolouration can lead parents to wonder if teeth whitening could help to brighten their child's smile.
Here at Surdel Dental Centre, our Surrey dentists strongly advise against teeth whitening for children and young teens for 2 main reasons:
Adult Teeth Are Naturally Darker Than Baby Teeth
Just under the enamel of every tooth lies a layer of a yellowish substance called dentin. The amount of dentin found in adult teeth is considerably more than the amount found in baby teeth.
The naturally darker appearance of the adult teeth is due to this increased amount of dentin, compared to the baby teeth.
So, while adult teeth aren't as white as baby teeth, the darker colour is perfectly normal. If you are concerned that your child's newly erupted adult teeth look dark or discoloured, rest assured that once your child's remaining baby teeth have fallen out the colour difference will be much less obvious.
Not Enough Scientific Data on Teeth Whitening for Children
Your child's safety and wellbeing are important to us! When it comes to whitening children's teeth, not enough scientific data is available for us to make an informed decision about whether whitening solutions are safe to use on children's developing smiles. At this point, the scientific community doesn't know whether the whitening solution could negatively affect the dental health of children.
When it comes to teeth whitening, our Surrey and Delta dentists will only recommend teeth whitening to adults and older teens looking to brighten their smiles.