Every parent is concerned with their child’s health, right down to the coloring of their teeth. Some parents may worry, as their child gets older, that their teeth will begin to yellow. This is not uncommon because young children naturally have whiter teeth, and in comparison, a slightly older child’s may begin to look dull or yellow. However, kids that consume a lot of sugary candy and soda are also susceptible to food stains on their teeth, which can give them a yellow appearance. But the question is: is tooth whitening safe for kids?

1. YOUR
DENTAL
HEALTH
PARTNERS.com
Is Tooth Whitening Safe
for Kids?

2. YOUR DENTAL
HEALTH PARTNERS
Kids that consume a lot of sugary candy and soda are also susceptible to
food stains on their teeth, which can give them a yellow appearance. But
the question is: is tooth whitening safe for kids?

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HEALTH PARTNERS
The Risks
In many tooth whitening strips, they use a concentration of hydrogen per-
oxide to give a bright, white smile, but the use of hydrogen peroxide on
teeth can result in tooth sensitivity if used often or in high concentration.

4. YOUR DENTAL
HEALTH PARTNERS
The Risks
For this reason, experts recommend that children wait until age 14 or
later before they start using any form of tooth whitening to ensure that
their tooth pulp has fully formed.
With young teeth, high-concentration whitening approaches like whiten-
ing strips or green light treatments can result in tooth sensitivity and
make teeth more prone to cavities and soreness. Because of this, we
recommend waiting until age 17 or later to use whitening strips or green
light treatments.
The position of The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry is that over-
the-counter tooth whitening products are too new and have not been
studied enough to form a robust scientific consensus. There’s more
research to do, so until better information emerges they caution against
allowing young people to use products like whitening strips.

5. YOUR DENTAL
HEALTH PARTNERS
What to Keep in Mind
For children who insist on going ahead with some form of with tooth
whitening, there are a few things to take into consideration. Let the
family dentist know what’s going on as soon as possible and seek their
opinion. Dentists are a much more reliable source
than most online information.

6. YOUR DENTAL
HEALTH PARTNERS
What to Keep in Mind
It is best to wait to use any whitening products until after all of the
child’s baby teeth have fallen out and every adult tooth is fully grown in
and settled. Whitening a child’s teeth too early may create variations in
the coloring and bleaching of the child’s teeth.
It is also best to wait until all orthodontic treatment has been completed.
Braces and retainer are meant to move and shift the child’s teeth into the
proper position so the alignment will be different after they’ve been
taken off than before. Picture suntan lines, only on the teeth. Waiting
until your child is done with braces will prevent any bleaching lines on
your child’s teeth from appearing after orthodontic treatment.
Kids who use whitening strips need to be supervised. Without adult
supervision, the strips can be left on too long or even swallowed by
accident if the child is not paying close enough attention. This can be
damaging to both the child’s teeth and their health respectively.

7. YOUR DENTAL
HEALTH PARTNERS
Stain Prevention
Those who’re not good candidates for tooth whitening still have
options. They can still use a whitening toothpaste to scrub away food
and whiten their teeth while they clean them. It’s also a good idea
to avoid food and drink that are most
likely to result in staining.

8. Whitening Options Near You!
yourdentalhealthpartners.com
347 Greenwood Street
Worcester, MA 01607
(508) 791-4000
friendlydentalofworcester.com
FRIENDLY DENTAL
OF WORCESTER
1438 Grafton St
Worcester, MA 01604
(508) 753-5488
uniquedentalofworcester.com
UNIQUE DENTAL
OF WORCESTER
130 Maynard Rd
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 879-8250
uniquedentalofframingham.com
UNIQUE DENTAL
OF FRAMINGHAM
23 Cedar St
Taunton, MA 02780
(508) 822-1281
tauntondentalcenter.com
TAUNTON
DENTAL CENTER
64 Grove Street
Putnam, CT 06260
(860) 928-4352
uniquedentalofputnam.com
UNIQUE DENTAL
OF PUTNAM
31 Cinema Blvd,
Leominster, MA 01453
(978) 537-8566
cinemasmiles.com
CINEMA SMILES
DENTAL EXCELLENCE
158 North Main St
Uxbridge, MA 01569
(508) 278-2015
uxbridgefamilydental.com
UXBRIDGE
FAMILY DENTAL