When it comes to cosmetic dental procedures for children, many factors are considered. Unnecessary dental work is never recommended, but feeling good about their smile can greatly affect a child’s success in education, and even set them up for continued achievements in adulthood. For some parents, seeing their child suffer because of a…
When it comes to cosmetic dental procedures for children, many factors are considered. Unnecessary dental work is never recommended, but feeling good about their smile can greatly affect a child’s success in education, and even set them up for continued achievements in adulthood. For some parents, seeing their child suffer because of a less-than-bright set of teeth has them asking the question: is teeth whitening safe for my child? Your Knoxville family dentist, Dr. Erpenbach, offers some insight on this procedure and its suitability for children.
Prevent Stains Before They Happen
Prevention is always the ideal solution, although hindsight is indeed 20/20. If you’re seeing early signs of teeth staining or yellowing, now is a great time to ramp up basic dental hygiene practices with your child. Encourage them to brush for longer periods, and more often. While brushing too much can dissolve enamel, most children can benefit from more frequent brushing. As it stands, lazy brushing habits are quite common with children and adolescents.
Try to supervise your child while they brush, especially until they develop a regular practice of brushing properly. In the case of smaller children, encouraging independence in oral hygiene is great, but it’s wise to continue to help them until they have the dexterity and motivation to put your good advice into practice. You should attempt to give them verbal instructions at first, but don’t hesitate to take a turn at brushing their teeth yourself to ensure that their teeth are properly cleaned. Brushing at the same time as them can help, as well. You should lead by example.
Keeping up with those bi-annual cleanings at your Knoxville family dentist office is another great way to ensure that your child’s teeth will stay as white, bright, and healthy.
When Should Whitening Be Considered?
Teeth whitening treatment is a last resort for children, and only in special cases. Focus on good oral hygiene habits while your child still has their primary (baby) teeth. Once permanent teeth begin to erupt, good habits are already in place.
Occasionally, a whitening treatment is necessary if teeth are extensively stained due to the use of certain medication or previous trauma to baby teeth. Dr. Erpenbach offers at-home whitening kits for his patients, and they are safe to use on adolescents and teens.
If you have questions, or are considering whitening for your adolescent or teenage child, Dr. Erpenbach would love to discuss options with you. Contact our Knoxville dental office at 865-584-8630. We serve patients from the Bearden area and West Knoxville.
Â
Â
