How to Whiten Kids Teeth

Professional teeth whitening is not recommended for kids under the age of 14. Therefore, it would be best to consult a teeth whitening dentist if you want the procedure done for your kids. However, it would be best to focus on maintaining good oral hygiene habits among your kids instead of opting for cosmetic dentistry. Additionally, you can take your kids for regular dental checkups at Saybrook Family Dental Care to help maintain proper hygiene and eliminate the need for teeth whitening.

How to Whiten Kid’s Teeth Naturally

Here are some guidelines on how to whiten your kid’s teeth naturally:

• Encourage regular brushing: Teaching your kids to brush their teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste is vital to maintaining good oral hygiene. Teach them how to touch the front, back and chewing surfaces of their teeth. Additionally, remember to teach them how to brush their tongue to prevent foul mouth odour.
• Teach them the proper teeth brushing technique: It would help to emphasize the correct teeth brush technique. Show your kids how to brush their teeth in a circular motion and their gums and teeth.
• Promote flossing: While brushing teeth twice a day helps to maintain white teeth among kids, flossing is essential too. It helps get rid of food particles that may be stuck in between teeth. In addition, proper flossing helps prevent plaque buildup that causes tooth decay.
• Healthy diet: Providing your kids with a healthy diet will give them white teeth naturally. Foods and beverages that are too sugary cause discoloration of teeth and promote tooth decay. In addition, encourage your teeth to drink a lot of water. Moreover, encouraging your kids to take dairy products like milk and yogurt will promote white and healthy teeth.
• Taking your kids for regular dental checkups: Scheduling regular dental checkups for your kids is vital to promoting good oral hygiene. Additionally, a dentist will clean your kid’s teeth professionally to remove any food debris and advise you further on how to promote good oral health.

Why Professional Teeth Whitening  is Not Recommended For Children

Professional teeth whitening in Old Saybrook, CT, is not recommended for children. Firstly, their teeth and gums are still developing. Some chemicals used in teeth whitening can damage their enamel and destroy their teeth. Also, the bleaching agents used in professional teeth cleaning are not suitable for young kids’ teeth. So, promoting good oral hygiene habits in kids is essential in preventing teeth discoloration and promoting natural white teeth among kids. Other adverse effects of teeth whitening in children include the following:

• Increased teeth sensitivity
• Variation in teeth colour
• Demineralization
• Damage to the gum tissue
• Injury to tooth nerves
• Enamel disintegration or pitting

Another reason teeth whitening is not recommended for kids is that their permanent teeth erupt fully at the age of 12 or 13. Also, the enamel calcification takes two more years to complete. So, teeth whitening or bleaching can harm their teeth unless recommended and supervised by a teeth whitening dentist. Moreover, adolescents and teenagers who need cosmetic dentistry may overuse teeth whitening products to hasten the process resulting in the breaking down of tooth structure.

Alternatives to Teeth Whitening For Children

Stain prevention is the best alternative to teeth whitening for children. Stains can be prevented by doing the following:

• Avoid Food and Beverages That Stain Teeth: Some foods stain teeth when consumed frequently. Examples of these foods are colas, candy, coffee and fruit sodas.
• Use Whitening Toothpaste: Your kids can use tooth whitening or fluoride toothpaste to brush their teeth twice a day. However, if you decide to use teeth-whitening toothpaste, please ensure it is kid friendly.
• Visiting Your Pediatric Dentist Frequently: Taking your kids for regular pediatric visits at Saybrook Dental Care to have their teeth cleaned will promote white teeth.

Conclusion

Teeth whitening dentists don’t encourage teeth whitening for kids as permanent teeth are fully developed at the age of 12 to 13 years. Additionally, enamel calcification gets complete at the age of 15. Therefore, whitening your kid’s teeth can weaken or destroy their teeth enamel. In addition, it can cause demineralization of teeth. Professionals recommend natural whitening of teeth by practicing good oral hygiene habits like regular flossing and regular dental visits for teeth cleaning.