Laser teeth whitening question? what's the youngest age it's okay to have laser teeth whitening done?

I : I really would not suggest doing a laser whitening much before age 18 because teeth are still maturing. However, it is very routine that we do at home whitening on teens. The good news is that they respond very quickly as they typically do not have notable staining. As always, it is important to discuss goals and expectations . For example, if the problem is deep staining from antibiotics like tetarcyline, any type of whitening will most likely not offer significant improvement.

Whitening : Whitening on patients that are young will usually cause much more sensitivity than on those who are older. That is because they have a larger nerve still present. The sensitivity is always (in my observation and. General understanding) temporary. However, as a general rule I have not whitened teeth on patients younger than about 15 or 16. Actually, I have seen parents use the whitening as a reward for good checkup after braces are removed.

ZOOM! : Zoom! now has a new light that has a low setting that can be used on sensitive teeth and teens with large pulp chambers. The basic idea with young teens is that the whitening agent will irriate the pulp tissue due to how large-close to the outer edge- it is. There are companies producing whitening agents with lower concentrations just for that reason. I recently used zoom! on a 16 year old, a cousin of mine, on normal setting and the only thing she ended up with was white teeth; no sensitivity at all. The magic number use to be 18, but with all the hype to have whiter teeth, kids are buying whitestrips and whitening at home, uncontrolled. I would much rather whiten a young teen in-office than let them do it at home. I do not know what the youngest age should be, but if you trust your dentist, ask him/her their opinion. 16 is my magic number, but that doesn't mean i won't whiten a 14 year old's teeth, given the right circumstances.

Varies : Whitening teeth, whether using a laser, otc, or inoffice and tray bleaching can be safely performed approximately 2 years after the all the teeth are erupted, usually age 14.

Wait until permanent: Wait until at least all your permanent teeth are in. If you have decay and broken down teeth due to cavities, go see your dentist for restorative treatment.