I had Zoom whitening done and love it. My son had a set of beautiful white teeth as a toddler. I loved seeing his beautiful smile in photos. As teeth started falling out, and the permanent ones came in, I can’t help but to notice how yellow they are! I don’t know why his teeth are yellow, especially since we have a good brushing routine. Honestly, they just grew in that way! He’s only nine years old. But, I don’t want his yellow teeth to be a problem for him when he gets a little older. Can we do something like Zoom whitening for him at this age? Or anything else to help whiten his teeth?

-Sandra in Connecticut

Sandra,

Thank you for your question. One of the biggest observations parents make when kids start growing their permanent teeth (around 6-7 years old), is how much darker they are than baby teeth. That is actually quite normal, so no need to panic!

This is just one of many ways that primary and permanent teeth differ. Permanent teeth have a much larger amount of dentin (the inner hard part of the tooth), which is yellow in color. Since enamel (the hard outer surface of the tooth) is translucent, that yellow color shows through more. Primary teeth not only have much less dentin, but the dentin is much lighter in color; thus giving them a whiter appearance. The new adult teeth may appear extra yellow as they grow in right next to a light baby tooth, making it almost impossible not to compare.

New adult yellow teeth are perfectly normal, and even expected! But, to answer your question, it is not recommended to look into Zoom whitening. That includes any kind of teeth bleaching trays, or other whitening products until much later into their teen years, should this still be an issue. Once all the permanent teeth grow in, they will blend much better, and won’t have such a yellow appearance.

Thank you for your question. You are not alone in having this concern.