If your dentist determines that your child’s teeth are in fact darker than normal and your child is concerned with their appearance, then there are a few things to consider. I get this question often, and my answer is always the same: wait until your child is at least 18. There isn’t necessarily a specific age that is appropriate for your child to use whiteners. I base my opinion on what little research exists on the use of whitening agents in adolescents. Always consult your family dentist prior to trying any over-the-counter whiteners on your child.

As you may or may not know, there are several ways to whiten teeth. All have one similar feature: the use of a whitening agent such as hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide or other agents. Some techniques use a special light during the application of the whitener to enhance whiteness (i.e., Zoom Whitening Sytem). Others use customized trays in which the whitener is placed and worn on the teeth for a certain period of time and for a certain length of time. These are both considered to be professional grade whiteners, and my personal preference is for the custom tray method, as whitening can be controlled by the patient and there is typically less sensitivity. Over-the-counter methods include “Crest Whitestrips” and its “Rembrandt” competitor.

Whitening agents can cause sensitivity to both the teeth and gums, and can sometimes be much more exaggerated in young teeth. This can be a painful experience, and quite troubling for teens and adolescents. The other main concern, particularly with the accompaniment of the light accelerator, is damage to the nerve tissue within the tooth (also called dental pulp). Few studies have been done on teeth whitening in adolescents, but some hypotheses of whitening in youth are, that it could cause damage (either irreversible or reversible) to a child’s teeth. This thought pertains to any method used for whitening.

Damage to the pulp can be reversible or irreversible and so symptoms may be as minimal as sensitivity, but can also result in death of the dental pulp. If death of the pulp occurs, a root canal is then needed to permanently eliminate the pain. There are not a lot of studies done in this area, because as you can image it raises some ethical dilemmas in order to gather the data. In adults, however, whitening is considered to be very safe and non-damaging, assuming you follow the direction for the brand of whitener. Though adults may experience some sensitivity, generally it is transient and not a problem.

So, my personal philosophy is, I don’t whiten teeth unless the child is at least eighteen, so that the tooth tissue has time to mature. If the child’s teeth appear to inadequately matured, regardless of age, I may still suggest waiting a little while. This maturity will hopefully allow for minimal sensitivity and hopefully no tooth damage. While in general whitening teeth is perfectly safe, we still must use caution when considering them as options.

If you have never seen an x-ray of a newborns jawbone you may be surprised to see 20 developing teeth. So, even though you can’t see them, they are there. This is one reason that illness or injury as a toddler can have adverse effects on teeth later on. Your toddler’s first teeth are known as”primary” teeth and play an important roll in development. It is important for parents not to treat their child’s primary teeth as “temporary” or “replaceable” . Many preventable problems can be avoided by proper care of your toddler’s primary teeth.

At about six month of age, your toddlers teeth may be starting to erupt. The front four teeth are usually the first to arrive. Remember that ever baby develops at a different rate so if your toddler does not have his or her first tooth at 6 months+one day ,don’t sweat it! It is not uncommon for the first teeth to take 12 to 14 months to come in. Both of our boys seemed to take forever to get/lose teeth.

When your toddler’s teeth begin coming in(erupting), your child may experience sore or tender gums. This is normal. You can help soothe the discomfort by gently massaging the gums with a clean finger or moist gauze pad. Granted this will only provide temporary relief but sometimes that’s enough to help a fussy baby. If you prefer the “hands off” method, you can give your toddler a clean teething ring to chew on. Remember never to put any sugar or syrup on the teething ring. I know it seems obvious but as you may have guessed, there is a reason I mention it!

If your toddler is excessively uncomfortable and cranky, you can call your dentist or pediatrician to ask about over the counter pain remedies. Keep in mind also that contrary to popular belief, if your infant/toddler is running a fever while teething, this is not normal. Any unusually high or persistent fever is an indicator to contact your pediatrician.