To Whiten or Not To Whiten?

By Rishita Jaju, DMD

Smile Wonders

. https://www.smilewonders.com/

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To Whiten or Not To Whiten?

Congratulations! Your child has lost their first few teeth and the Tooth Fairy has made her first appearance. Now comes the really exciting part, those adult teeth are starting to grow in to replace the baby teeth.

But you notice that these teeth aren’t quite “white”, which is odd because the primary teeth look much whiter than these new teeth. So you brush harder or even longer than before but nothing you do seems to help.

Believe it or not, “white” isn’t quite white when it comes to adult teeth. Eggshell or cream is the natural, healthy color for adult teeth but when compared with baby teeth, this color can seem “yellow” because baby teeth are normally whiter than permanent teeth.

However, when a tooth varies from its normal coloration, there can be a cause for concern and it is best to get the tooth (or teeth) checked by a pediatric dentist.

In children, there are a number of causes for tooth discoloration that can be generally broken down into two major categories:

External Causes:

Poor dental hygiene that causes plaque build up

Food and drink stains

Acids from food and drinks

Internal Causes:

Tooth trauma

Tooth decay (black spots)

Iron or vitamin supplements

Lighter spots when braces are removed

The best way to handle discoloration is to try to avoid it in the first place.

Brush twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste (pea size for older kiddos, rice size for kiddos under three years old)

Visit your pediatric dentist twice a year for a professional exam and cleaning

Avoid foods that stain: dark fruit juices, sodas, tea, popsicles, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, tomato sauce, blueberries and beets

Use only water in sippy cups

Professional dental cleanings and good daily hygiene go a long way in preventing or removing normal tooth discoloration.

If you are considering using a whitening procedure, the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (APD) recommends waiting until the child is at least 14 before whitening. It is also recommended that you wait until 17 or 18 to use whitening strips for children.

Other whitening procedures include dental trays and professional teeth whitening provided by your pediatric dentist. More permanent measures for teeth whitening can include enamel tooth veneers or porcelain crowns.

The best way to know for sure if you should consider whitening or not is to follow up with your own pediatric dentist today!