At what age can teeth be whitened? Is 14 too early, how much does whitening cost and how long does it last?

Dear Sir/Madam!

There is no doctrinally defined age limit for tooth whitening. We must be aware that from the time a tooth fully erupts into the oral cavity, the enamel matures (the crystal structure of the enamel changes due to the exchange of certain ions and the organisation of the arrangement of crystals). The quality of the enamel therefore continually improves (lower enamel permeability and consequently lower susceptibility to dental caries). These processes are accompanied by a change in enamel colour (the enamel becomes more transparent, so the colour of the dentine, which is brown, becomes more visible through the enamel itself, making the tooth appear darker). During whitening we change the surface layer of enamel back towards its original state, that is, we disorient and demineralise the crystals; the enamel becomes less permeable to light and therefore more milky in colour. Its quality is, of course, somewhat reduced by this. It therefore follows from the above that we generally do not recommend whitening, but if it is done, it is better to do it later. The theory described also implies that after whitening the enamel will once again undergo the maturation process, so the whitening effect is not permanent (we do not know how long it lasts).

Have a nice day!