How Old Do You Recommend Teeth Whitening? (photo)

We have done whitening (both tray based and Zoom) on many teenagers. Sixteen is fine and works well. Check with your dentist about anything that might prevent you - medications, cavities, gum issues - and do it.

That's a good question.  Teeth are usually fully formed by 13 years of age.  To be on the safe side we perform teeth whitening for clients who are 14 years of age or older.  At 16, it should be perfectly safe for you to have teeth whitening performed.  You can use a take home method or a professional in office whitening such as the Zoom whitening treatment. Good Luck!

The simplest way to have those teeth match the others is to replace the teeth on your flipper with ones that match your present color.  If you are unhappy with the color of the rest of your teeth, you can whiten until they reach  the color of your flipper teeth.  If you whiten and experience sensitivity, stop and wait a couple of years.

Teeth whitening has t be done after an examination by a dentist. You need to make sure there are no contraindication. One condition is that teeth need to be fully developed. Obviously not every one is the same. But generally  speaking, 16 years of age is old enough and teeth are fully developed and it is safe to perform teeth whitening, My favorite system is ZOOM II.

Good luck

Hi there!  With respect to your question of how old does a patient have to be to get whitening on their teeth, it would be up to the individual dentist.  If the patient is 16 and up in our office, we allow whitening as long as we deem the patient a candidate, and they must have parental consent since they are still considered a minor.  I am very surprised that your dentist would recommend that you drink soda to stain the other teeth so they match your existing teeth, especially since many flipper materials will not stain, and also because soda is not good for your teeth/health in general.  The first thing you most likely should do since you just got your braces off, is to have a good teeth cleaning to remove any excess plaque or debris that was left from the braces.  Then, find a cosmetic dentist who can evaluate your teeth to see if you would be a candidate for whitening so they can get everything to match.  Keep in mind, most offices will require that you have a parent or guardian with you to consent to whitening.  Good luck!