More children are undergoing cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as having dental veneers and teeth whitening.
Pediatric dentists are increasingly being asked to place false teeth in a child’s mouth the replace broken or missing teeth, among many other procedures being performed to improve a child’s smile.
Based on most research, however, children should not have any cosmetic dental procedures performed on them. It’s ideal to wait until the permanent teeth have erupted and become stable in the mouth before performing cosmetic procedures. Only in emergency situations should a cosmetic dental procedure be performed on a child.
Tooth bleaching may not have a major adverse impact on the child, assuming there’s a less concentrated solution utilized. This will lower the amount of gum irritation.
Dental veneers, though, are much worse for children based on the removal of enamel required for the installation of many types of veneers.
All options must be discussed before deciding to perform a cosmetic dental procedure on a child. As always, maintaining good oral health by brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist regularly are the best ways to prevent your child from reaching this point.
