Prom season is here, and it’s the time for many teens around the country to look their best. Aside from the pretty ball gowns and dapper tuxes, the overall look can’t be complete without a lovely set of pearly white teeth. Teens looking to whiten their teeth and brighten their smile can now look to an experienced cosmetic dentist in Wilkes-Barre as well as other cities in Pennsylvania for this specific purpose. However, their young age call for special considerations, Irene O’Connor writes for Eyewitness News:
“Eyewitness News talked with Dr. Sarita Arteaga, who is a dentist and school instructor at UConn School of Dental Medicine, about if teeth whitening was appropriate for people between the ages of 15 to 18.
“We try to give an approximate age range in the teens, about sixteen to eighteen years old”, Arteaga said.
Arteaga told Eyewitness News that it’s important for children to wait until the inner layer of their teeth, the pulp, is fully developed before entertaining the idea of whitening. And the best way to know that is by talking to the dentist.”
A flawless set of teeth is a major confidence booster, especially for young people. Parents looking to help their teens look and feel their best are turning to professional teeth whitening services – but this recent trend has raised concerns among the dental community. Teeth whitening in teenagers is a caution-filled process, and is ideally done when one is about 16 years of age for it to yield desirable results. Dentists recommend this age since most of an individual’s permanent teeth have developed and matured by then.
According to the American Dental Association, whitening substances are meant for use on real tooth enamel, and won’t work if the patient has fillings, veneers, or crowns. Sensitive teeth, cavities, and even gum disease need addressing beforehand, too. Indeed, once a teenager is brought to a dental clinic for a whitening procedure, a skilled cosmetic dentist in Wilkes Barre can tell whether he or she is eligible or not.
To effectively prevent teeth whitening complications among teens, they are encouraged to undergo the procedure at the right age, and should be subject to a pre-treatment examination. During the evaluation, a dentist can identify several factors like the patient’s dental maturity, state of oral health, and offer advice on other whitening options if necessary.
Always entrust your teen’s teeth to a trained and experienced dentist to ensure maximum safety and optimum results like Dr. James C. DeFinnis of Back Mountain Dental. A reputable dentist knows how to effectively deal with any problems a patient may experience and any special considerations that have to be taken into account.
