It seems like yesterday that your child was just learning to walk, to pretend, and to read. In a flash, they’ve become a teenager—almost a grownup! You may wish your beloved teen could stay young and carefree forever, but even at this tender age, they can face some adult concerns and dilemmas already. For instance, your teen may start to notice flaws in their smile and feel self-conscious. But is cosmetic dentistry a good idea for teenagers? Keep reading to learn why you can consider making these improvements with a clear conscience and which cosmetic treatments are especially beneficial for teens.
Why Cosmetic Dentistry for Teens Can Be Positive
Although many teenagers can struggle with self-esteem and self-image, some aesthetic dental issues can safely and easily be resolved. With these slight improvements, your teen can build a stronger foundation of confidence, improve their mood and mental health by smiling more often, and share a friendly smile with their peers, which makes the world around them brighter.
Some more invasive treatments with cosmetic effects like dental implants are typically reserved for patients 18 years or older. Teenagers grow and mature at different rates, not only in height, brain development, and other physical attributes but also in their oral cavity. That’s why dentists wait until adulthood when the patient’s skeletal structure has finished growing into fully developed adults.
Cosmetic Dental Treatments for Teens
Fortunately, there are some cosmetic procedures, including the following, that are safe and available for teens who would like to improve their appearance.
Teeth Whitening
If your teen is like many others, they may drink a lot of soda, eat pizza with tomato sauce, or even have coffee on a regular basis. As a result, their teeth may not look as bright as they did in years past. For some teens who take tetracycline for acne or other reasons, discoloration can come as an unwelcome side effect. Thankfully, KOR Deep Bleaching can manage to whiten teeth by lifting both surface stains and medicine-induced fading.
White Spot Treatment
Although brilliance is considered beautiful on teeth, sometimes unnatural-looking white spots can develop. Especially if your teen has just had braces, they may have areas that stand out for the wrong reasons afterward.
White spots can indicate demineralization and recalcification of the enamel, which is common for youngsters who may struggle to clean around brackets and wires adequately. It can also result from swallowing too much fluoridated toothpaste. Although not many dentists offer Icon resin infiltration, it can make teeth appear more naturally uniform.
Veneers
Unfortunately, even at a young age, teeth can crack or chip, especially if your teen is active in sports. In this scenario, a thin porcelain veneer can cover these and other imperfections like mild misalignment or small or misshapen teeth. Although this treatment involves permanently altering their natural tooth enamel, these durable, stain-resistant veneers can correct all sorts of issues in just two visits.
Being a teenager these days can be hard enough that worries about their smile shouldn’t be a major concern. Take advantage of teen-friendly cosmetic dental treatments to help them feel self-assured as they grow up.
About the Practice
Beach Dental is led by Dr. Jason Parli and Dr. Alexis Gersten, who both have 20 years of dentistry experience. In addition to being skilled dentists and partners, they are also husband and wife and have two children together. Serving patients from Westhampton Beach, East Quogue, East Moriches, Westhampton, and Manorville, we offer many cosmetic options and customize treatment to each patient’s needs. If you are interested in learning more about cosmetic dental procedures, contact our office online or call us at 631-325-0731.