If you have a teenager who is embarrassed by the color of their teeth, you may have been thinking about getting them whitened. Many traditional tooth whitening toothpastes you can buy in the store can actually damage tender enamel since they use abrasive paste to remove stains. Overuse of these types of toothpastes can actually wear away enamel over time and create tooth sensitivity and weakness. If you are worried about your teenager's confidence in their smile but still want to preserve their tooth enamel, you may be asking yourself the safest ways they can whiten their teeth successfully.

How young is too young?

The best way to answer this question is to talk to your child's dentist about their oral care. In general, however, a dentist will tell you that you should not have your teenager's teeth whitened by strips or whitening toothpaste until their tooth enamel has matured enough to handle the abrasion. Adult teeth are typically a few shades darker than baby teeth, which can make your teenager feel like their teeth are dull in comparison to their younger siblings. Your dentist can also discuss the foods and beverages that may be making your teen's teeth less white, and can suggest oral hygiene practices to keep stains at bay.

What are safe tooth whitening options?

Luckily, there are ways you can brighten your teenager's teeth without causing permanent harm to their enamel. A cosmetic dentist (such as Milan Simanek, D.D.S. & Associates) can whiten your teen's teeth using a laser that blasts away stubborn stains to reveal a whiter smile. Bleaching is also relatively safe, even on very young children, and may be recommended by your dentist for your own child. Bleaching can involve placing a gel directly on your teen's teeth in the dentist's office, followed by a bright light to accelerate the bleaching process, or can be sent home with you as a kit to do at home. A home kit typically involves a mouth tray that fits to your teenager's teeth like a mold. The tray is filled with bleaching gel that can be worn for several minutes to an hour for several days as prescribed by your cosmetic dentist.

Your teenager may be worried about the appearance of their teeth, and you may be worried about how you can help alleviate their embarrassment while still preserving their tooth enamel. Your cosmetic dentist can give you the best treatment options for your teenager so they can preserve their pearly whites and keep tooth sensitivity at bay.