Tooth Whitening Is Safe For Adolescents
Tooth Whitening Is Safe For Adolescents
Tooth Whitening Is Safe For Adolescents
According to Saratoga Springs dentist Dr. Glenn Park, tooth whitening is absolutely safe for adolescents and young adults. A well-known dentist with his own practice, Glenn Park DDS PLLC, Park says that adolescents can actually have better success with bleaching products than their older counterparts because the anatomy of younger teeth is more conducive to these types of products.
In my experience, as long as a patient has all of his permanent teeth, professional bleaching is completely safe. If there are any baby teeth in there, though, I usually recommend to parents or the adolescents themselves that they wait until the adult teeth have grown in before trying any bleaching products. I don't generally recommend that bleaching be done on a mouth with mixed dentition. However, any child around the age of 12 or older should usually be safe for bleaching.
Higher Success Rate
As a dentist in Saratoga Springs, I have come across some of my peers in the profession who do not recommend bleaching for patients until the age of 16 or 18. However, I firmly believe that bleaching is perfectly safe for adolescents just as long as they have all of their dentition, or their permanent teeth, in their mouth already.
From my results in the past, I have seen that generally adolescents do have a better success rate than other patients. The anatomy in younger people's teeth is simply different from the anatomy of an adult's teeth. Because a growing child's teeth are much more permeablemeaning that the enamel is not quite as strongthe bleaching products usually have an easier time penetrating through the enamel. This, in turn, makes the success rate for younger patients undergoing bleaching procedures much higher than for some older patients.
Less Bleach
Despite what many people think, dental bleaching products do not damage the teeth and they do not make patients any more prone to tooth decay, gingivitis, or bone loss. Because bleaching works so effectively on adolescents, less bleach is usually needed to achieve the desired result. A patient under the age of 25 will typically need far less bleach to get a completely white smile than someone who is older and whose dental anatomy is less conducive to this type of treatment. But I don't recommend that teens start bleaching incessantly. As with everything, moderation is key.
Some people will say that tooth sensitivity as a result of bleaching can be higher for adolescents than for adults. However, in my own practice, I have actually found the exact opposite to be true. The sensitivity is actually far greater in adults with bleaching than in teens. Part of the reason why I have found that adolescents have fewer tooth sensitivity issues after undergoing bleaching is because I do not have to use as much bleach on their teeth. Therefore, they are less exposed to the bleach and are less likely to complain of the sensitivity issues that some older patients have problems with.
Popular Trend
Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of teenage patients who have begun asking for teeth whitening treatments. I credit the influence of Hollywood actors, actresses, and models with this trend, since so many adolescents and teens are influenced by their favorite celebrities. A lot of adolescents are definitely asking for it, and they are definitely asking their parents for it. And again, there is definitely an increased overall awareness of tooth whitening in general.
In Saratoga Springs, parents frequently ask me where to go for bleaching and what products to try. While I do not recommend that people use any of the generic over-the-counter bleaching products on their children's teeth, there are some over-the-counter options that are better than others. You go to Wal-Mart and there are probably 20 different versions of the tooth whitening products. But if you are going over-the-counter with the tooth whitening process, then I generally like to recommend Crest Whitestrips.
I recommend Crest Whitestrips to patients because they have the least amount of whitening solution, which is hydrogen peroxide, and they are safe for all types of teeth. As far as teeth whitening procedures and products are concerned, however, the safest option is to visit the dentist and get a professional opinion. Based on the needs of the particular patient, a dentist will be able to recommend the product that will produce the best results.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
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