In the age of social media, kids are more focused than ever on their appearance. As a result, you may have heard your child talk about problems they have with their teeth, and express some interest in cosmetic dentistry.
Hearing your child talk about getting any kind of cosmetic procedure may make you nervous, but there are plenty of dental treatments that can safely give your child the smile that they’re hoping for! Here are a few cosmetic procedures that your child can try, and a few that they may be better off avoiding.
Should My Child Avoid Cosmetic Dentistry?
As was hinted at, there are potentially some dental procedures that you may want your child to avoid. For one, teeth whitening is an incredibly common treatment that doesn’t work quite the same on adults as it does on kids.
Younger people’s enamel hasn’t fully calcified in the way that it has in an adult. As a result, the bleaching solution that ordinarily only penetrates the top layer of the tooth will sink deeper, potentially coming in contact with the root tissue at its center. As you might imagine, this can cause significant pain and sensitivity.
Dental implants aren’t exactly cosmetic, but it’s also recommended that younger people stay away from them until their jaw is finished growing; otherwise, the dental implant could potentially fall out.
Which Cosmetic Dental Procedures Are Okay for My Child?
With the exception of these two, there are plenty of cosmetic procedures that younger people could benefit from!
For one, dental bonding is a great tool for repairing any damage your young athlete does to their teeth, patching up chips and cracks within as little as one appointment. For more substantial damage, a veneer or two can similarly cover up a lot of aesthetic imperfections.
If your child does lose a tooth, dentures, and bridges are both capable of filling that hole, returning them to the perfect smile that they had before.
Finally, there’s the most obvious one, braces. If your child was born with a less-than-straight smile, getting them braces can make cleaning easier and restore confidence in them that they may not have had for a very long time. A straight smile is also considerably easier to clean, which may also reduce your child’s risk of gum disease.
Next time your child comes to you and asks to beautify their smile, you don’t have to discourage them; take them to their dentist for a cosmetic consultation!
About Our Practice
At Longmont Complete Dentistry, we put our patients at the center of everything we do. From the moment you walk into our office, you’ll get the attentive, high-quality dental care that you deserve. Whether you need a checkup, a cleaning, or a complete set of dentures, we will use the latest techniques in oral medicine to treat you.
If you have any questions about cosmetic dentistry for your family, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (303) 772-7000.