Should A Child Have A Cosmetic Dental Procedure Done?

Cosmetic dentistry is capable of fixing a smile that needs some work. If your child has some cosmetic problems with their teeth, you may be wondering if they should have cosmetic dental procedures done to their teeth at a young age. Before going through with it, you should know about using cosmetic dentistry for these two common procedures.

Teeth Whitening

Chances are that you did not think much about the shade your teeth were when you were a kid. The main concern was that they were growing in straight, and if they weren't, you got braces to fix it. If your child has teeth that are noticeably yellow, you may be considering a teeth whitening procedure to fix the problem.

One thing to keep in mind is that baby teeth will be whiter than adult teeth, so when the adult teeth do come in, the color won't be as perfect as the baby teeth once were. It can cause a natural reaction to think the teeth are yellow when they are actually normal.

You should avoid having any whitening procedures done until all adult teeth come in completely, and they have stabilized in the mouth. One you have an accurate gauge on the final color of their adult teeth, you can decide if they should get teeth whitening performed.

Dental Veneers

Another procedure to hold off on right away is getting dental veneers. In order to have dental veneers installed, it requires removing a thin layer of enamel on your child's teeth. This abrasive surface is what is necessary to attach the veneer directly to the tooth. Once tooth enamel is gone, it will not come back, so your child must then rely on dental veneers for their entire life.

Deciding if your child should get dental veneers is a decision that they should be mature enough to make on their own. Remind your child that a healthy smile is much more important than a perfect smile. With dental veneers lasting only about 10 years, they'll end up needing to replace the veneers many times in their lifetime. While the procedure is great at hiding cosmetic problems with the teeth, having to repeatedly replace the veneers that often could become a financial burden later in life that they are not prepared for.

Hopefully, this information has helped guide you towards what to do about cosmetic dental procedures for your child. To learn more, contact a local family and cosmetic dentist.