Are Children Having Teeth Whitening Done?

With the increased popularity of teeth whitening over the past five years, the procedure is commonly being requested by the parents of children as young as eight years old.  What are the most frequently asked questions when requesting this procedure on children?

Q: What age is safe to begin the bleaching process in children?

A:  Bleaching is completely safe and there is no harmful damage to the enamel.  In my practice, I like to wait until the child has all of their permanent teeth erupted before whitening.  Typically, all of these have erupted by 11 or 12 years of age.  That being said, I would have no problem whitening the teeth of a child as young as eight years old if they were self conscience due to the comments of other kids at school about the color of their teeth.  

Q:  Can I use over -the -counter products to whiten my child's teeth?

A:   Teeth whitening should always be performed by a dentist whether it is "laser whitening" or the use of bleaching trays.  These procedures are technique sensitive and when not performed correctly can cause irritation of the gums that can be quite painful. 

Q:  Will the teeth be sensitive after whitening?



A:  Most of the time the patient will have sensitivity when doing ”laser whitening" for 8-10 hours following the procedure.  There is not as much sensitivity when using bleaching trays alone, but the results are not as drastic. The underlying nerves in the teeth of children are larger than adults.  This can cause increased teeth sensitivity in children for the first 24 hours following the procedure.    

 Q:  How much does teeth whitening cost and how long does it take?

A:  Zoom laser whitening or other similar products range from $400-800 depending on where you live and whether or not bleaching trays are included with the fee.  The procedure takes approximately two hours in the office.  Following this, the patient will be asked to use the trays for several nights for about an hour each time. 

The safety of bleaching in children has been proven to be safe and the results for some children can be life changing.  If you are wondering whether your child is a candidate for the procedure contact your dentist and ask for a consultation.  They will give you an honest answer that will allow you to make the best decision for your child.  Hope this helps!

 

The only way to prove the safety of teeth whitening is to demonstrate test patients for research studies.  However, getting pregnant women or young children to participate is both a legal and ethical challenge (ie, what if something coincidentally went wrong with a baby or child, would the whitening be blamed?).

The reality is, bleaching is safe.  The youngest I have ever done was on my own children at age 10, as most kids younger than that were simply not interested.  Most start to be concerned about their overall appearance at around age 12, so that is when most requests start.

The best methods include dentist input, as most over the counter/internet products are unregulated and unmonitored.  To be safe, dental supervision is suggested.

Teeth whitening has come a long way over more than twenty years. Initially we were concerned that the chemicals used to whiten teeth would cause some sort of permanent damage to teeth. Nothing is farther from the truth. Many people have whitened their teeth without serious concerns, in fact teeth whitening has become one of the most popular cosmetic trends (as demonstrated in all of the Over-The-Counter teeth whitening products and myriad toothpaste formulations).

Doing cosmetic dentistry for children always strikes some controversy. In my opinion, that's more voodoo than science. In general children CAN have teeth whitening at an early age. In my opinion a child COULD have teeth whitening done even at age 11, depending upon how their teeth are growing in. As with any kids that age, the cooperation needed to actually complete the whitening depends a lot on the individual child and the overall supervision of the parents.

Candidly, I do not get many requests for teeth whitening for young kids. Rather, mostly for young adults who often want to whiten after they finish their braces or teeth straightening. 

For young children the main aesthetic treatments typically are bonding to fix chips in front teeth, or to close up unattractive spaces.

In terms of techniques, there are two that can be useful: one, professional tray whitening done at home, and two, in-office professional whitening. Either technique depends a lot on the child's maturity to help out with the process.

In summary, I do not see a strong trend for child teeth whitening. I believe it CAN be done safely for even young children (say 10-12 years old). There are at least two different techniques that can produce the results. In some cases, a child could have it done at even a younger age, to just treat the front part of their smile.

I have worked with the media before and would be able to provide you with a very strong interview if you need more information.

As long as we are talking about whitening permanent "adult" teeth the age of the patient is not critical.  In all likelihood we are talking about 8 years old and up, as this is the average age for having enough permanent teeth to even consider whitening. Having said that, common sense and professional ethics dictates we make well informed decisions prior to treating any patient.  A child actress, singer or bullied child may very well be a candidate for whitening.  On the other hand, the child of a parent who is unrealistic in what a "normal" childhood smile looks like would not.  I have personally recommended the OTC whitening  (crest white-strips) to a 10 year old child actress, who felt that her brown stained front teeth was hurting her chances in auditions.  I am comfortable with my decision and would not hesitate to pursue more aggressive bleaching options if she and her family desire.  The discussion at a young age whether to whiten usually concerns the discrepancy between a child's baby teeth and adult teeth.  Adult teeth are much darker and it can be dramatic difference for a first time parent.  What the parent is usually asking is really "is my child's smile normal?"  Once you reassure parents that yes, this is a normal transition period, and lets re-evaluate once all the adult teeth come in, most parents thank you and the issue is put aside for many years.  Hope this helps.

Usually children are content with their smile and don't even think about whitening.  However, I have had some special situations which have called for action.  One child in particular was being teased becasue she had brown spots on her new front teeth.  (Age 6)  I suggested trying Crest Whitening Strips from the drug store, cut in half so they just fit over  the 2 front teeth. The parents did  this until all the Crest Whitening Strips were used.  The results were great becasue Crest Whitening seems to be very effective in taking out brown discoloration on the younger generation.  My biggest issue is when parents are worried about color differences between the baby teeth and permanent teeth and discuss it in front of the child.  Baby teeth are often whiter than the new permanent teeth resulting in  a color difference. I always ask if the child is conscience about their smile.  Sometimes the parents cause the child to be upset and concerned about the color difference.  As a routine, I like chldren to wait to whiten until after having orthodontic treatement or all of their permanent teeth have errupted-I explain this to all parents.  As with all treatment, there are exceptions and it is up to the dentist to discuss what they recommend.