kids dentist | palos heights il

Considering Your Child's Age Before Whitening

March 30, 2017
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Posted By: Dr. Richard Facko
childrens dentist palos heights

As your child begins to lose their baby teeth and adult teeth start to come in, you may notice that their smile isn't as white as it once was. The enamel on baby teeth is generally whiter than adult teeth, which can cause their smile to look a bit less pearly. 

The whiteness of your child's teeth can also be affected by drinking dark-colored sodas or juices, as well as many foods. Of course, because these drinks also contain a good deal of sugar, it's a good idea to try to avoid them as much as possible since they can cause tooth decay as well. On the other hand, if your child has one tooth that is discolored from the others, this may have been caused by an injury to the tooth, or by severe decay, and you should see a dentist! 

Teeth Whitening for Your Child

Many parents are interested in bleaching their child's teeth to get that white smile back. However, whitening products are best used on adult teeth, so you should wait until your child is at least 14 to try any products like this. By the age of 14, all of their adult teeth should be fully grown in. 

The color of your child's teeth can vary while their adult teeth are coming in, the variance between their baby teeth and their new adult teeth. However, once all the adult teeth grow in, the difference is less noticeable, and often not something that you will need to whiten at all. However, if you do decide to go with a whitening option, choose one with a low amount of bleach to start out. 

As always, you should take your child to the dentist once every six months for checkups, and this is a great time to talk about teeth whitening with their dentist. There you can have all your questions answered, and your dentist can advise the safest options for whitening. 

See your Palos Heights Pediatric Dentist

If you have any questions, or if you'd like to schedule an appointment to visit our Palos Heights dentist, don't hesitate to contact our office today for more information. We are proud to offer advanced care for children's dentistry, and we're excited to meet you and your family! 

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