Being a mother, I can understand the concern of those who are worried about their children’s overall health and also less paid attention part “teeth”.
The parents are aware of keeping the teeth of their kids “cavity-free” by brushing their teeth twice or even thrice a day; however, sometimes they don’t know how to tackle their yellow teeth and try to look for different ways of teeth whitening for kids.
Maintaining healthy white teeth starts at a very young age. The enamel of teeth gets eroded over time when we consume foods and beverages.
There are different reasons why your child’s teeth are yellow. These reasons are as follows:
- The Permanent are beginning to erupt
If your child starts getting permanent teeth, you could have noticed that these teeth are slightly yellow as compared to their baby teeth. This is quite normal.
There are some reasons why permanent teeth could look yellow. They have more dentin which is the yellowish second layer of the tooth, as compared to the baby. The nerve canal is also bigger when the tooth firstly erupts. The enamel of permanent teeth is naturally transparent when they appear firstly and replaces the teeth of the baby. Just because of these factors, your child’s teeth could be yellow. Don’t worry, with the passage of time, the enamel will harden and will calcify and will become consistent white.
- Plague and Tartar builds due to inadequate brushing
If your child doesn’t brush teeth for at least twice a day for 2 minutes or more, tartar and bacteria-filled plague can form on their teeth. Tartar is yellowish-brown in colour and could discolor the teeth. Your child’s teeth could have more risk of cavities if they have more plague and tartar.
- Their teeth could have thin enamel
Another factor responsible for the discoloration of your child’s teeth could be their tooth enamel. If the tooth enamel is weaker or thinner than normal, their teeth could look yellow. As enamel is whitish color, the layer of dentin that is under the enamel looks more yellow.
If the enamel is thin, the yellow dental gets visible clearly. The weak enamel of children needs special care and attention to keep their teeth healthy and free from cavities.
Adults spend a lot of money to whiten their teeth by using expensive products, but kids may maintain healthy white teeth at less cost.
There are some ideal natural solutions to keep the teeth of kids white:
- BAKING SODA AND LEMON
Due to excellent deodorizing and stain removing properties, lemon, and baking soda are the perfect cleaning solutions. To remove stains from the enamel, a chemical reaction is useful. You may mix a small amount of lemon juice with baking soda and brush it on the teeth. Leave the solution for a minute before rinsing it off. As lemon juice is much acidic, it can damage enamel. Therefore, perform this treatment just once a week to prevent damaging enamel.
- INCREASE INTAKE OF VEGETABLES AND HARD FRUITS
Beyond being good for health, hard fruits and vegetables are good for health, it can also make your teeth clean whiten them. Vegetables and fruits such as apples, carrots, celery, and pears may remove bacteria and stains from the teeth by a scouring action when they are chewed. Some of the fruits such as apples contain malic acid that is a chemical contained in commercial whitening products that remove stains from teeth. Meanwhile consuming vegetables and fruits your kids will also the benefits of minerals and vitamins.
Read: Healthiest Foods for Kids
- LIMIT THE INTAKE OF SUGARY AND ACIDIC FOODS
The staining foods and drinks that are high in citric acids and sugars are the biggest contributors to tooth decay. To preserve enamel and keep teeth white, eliminating these foods from a kid’s diet is a good way to preserve the enamel and keep their teeth white.
- MAINTAIN THEIR BRUSHING AND FLOSSING ROUTINE
You must ensure that your kids follow the brushing and flossing routine twice a day. Whenever they consume sugary or acidic foods, encourage them to brush within 30 minutes. Making consistent efforts to remove stains that cause discoloration on teeth is one of the most effective ways of natural teeth whitening. Regularity in brushing and flossing will keep their teeth cleaner the whole day and whitens their teeth over time.
Still, there could be few questions for your child’s white teeth:
Is it safer to put Hydrogen Peroxide on my child’s teeth?
Hydrogen Peroxide is an effective way of whitening your kids’ teeth; however, it must be used carefully. If its concentration is too high or if used too often, it could cause serious tooth damage.
Can I use Whitening strips on my kids’ teeth?
It is a quite popular method to use whitening strips to whiten teeth, but these are not recommended as safe teeth whitening for kids. There is still a lack of research that states whether whitening strips are safe for kids.
Is it ok to use teeth whitening toothpaste for kids?
Most dentists agree that whitening toothpaste is safe for children only if these are used in small quantities and when they learn to brush properly in a softer manner.
Conclusion: If you want to learn more about whitening your child’s teeth, talk to your dentist and have them examine your child’s teeth to determine if they can be whitened.
