The Teenage Years – What Can Go Wrong For Your Teeth?
What pitfalls lie ahead for our young children during adolescence?
It is sometimes said that the teenage years are the best years of our lives. For some, this might be true, while for others, when they look back, they will just be grateful that they got through it relatively unscathed. The fact is that while it can be an enjoyable time, it is often a very challenging one too. Most of us can probably remember doing things that we consider stupid now or wish that we had done things differently. This often applies to people who look back at the way that they neglected their teeth during this time and regret the poor quality oral health caused by it.
While we can’t turn back the clock, many problems can be resolved through receiving treatment from our Wickford dental team using restorative methods such as white teeth fillings and porcelain dental crowns. One thing that is for sure though, is that those of us who have children who are about to become teenagers, will not want their own children to make the same mistakes!
In today’s blog then, we are going to take a look at some of the oral health pitfalls of being a teenager.
The early ‘awkward’ years
13 to 15 are probably the most awkward years; when we change from being children into young adults and start to have to grapple with some of the realities of life. Of course, the fact that this coincides with all sorts of hormonal changes makes this even more difficult. It is also a time when we start to become more independent and this means that no amount of ‘orders’ from our parents are going to make us clean our teeth if we really don’t want to. Annoying as this is for parents, this attitude is often a way of finding their own independence. When it comes to things like cleaning their teeth, eating too many sweets etc, this can have a long lasting effect on their teeth and gums and seeing their teeth ‘going downhill’ can be very difficult for parents to accept, especially if they have suffered from it too and don’t want the same for their children.
Some calm and sensible guidance from parents can really help at this time, but also somehow getting them to see a local dentist can make all the difference. Not only can we take action to help issues such as tooth decay and gum disease, but children will often listen to other adults that aren’t their parents and we can offer them sensible and practical advice which they might follow as it is often seen as help rather than an ‘order from above’.
Try not to keep too many sweets and chocolates in the house too. You can guarantee they will be buying or swapping these anyway so anything that you can do to help is beneficial. Definitely avoid soft fizzy drinks too as these are very harmful for the enamel on young teeth.
The ‘independent’ years
16 to 18 is when teenagers really start to become more independent and we start to lose ‘control’ of them, hoping that what we tried to teach them has really sunk in. Of course, this often isn’t the case and it is only as they become adults when they realise this. In the meantime, these later teen years, and often into early adulthood, can be particularly risky in many areas.
The discovery of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and even recreational drugs, can have a devastating impact on their lives and on their oral health too. Readers of our Cygnet Dental Practice blogs will already know of the consequences of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption for our teeth; with tooth loss being a real possibility in some cases.
These and similar things have been around for a long time of course, but one relatively new issue is that of social media. Not only can this put a lot of pressure on younger people, including microscopic critiques of their appearance, which can have a massive impact on their self worth, but there is also the concern by dentists of the ‘alternative solutions’ that are often suggested.
One of the most popular ‘alternative’ solutions is that of teeth whitening. There is no reason why anyone under the age of 18 should need to have whiter teeth, and indeed, it is illegal to perform this on anyone under 18 in the UK. Unfortunately, celebrities and ‘influencers’ are often responsible for people seeking to have their teeth whitened, and given that it is illegal in the UK for under 18s, they turn to the internet, sometimes with disastrous results.
Most of the DIY teeth whitening treatments available on the internet are potentially harmful and rely either on ‘scrubbing’ the surface of the teeth to remove staining by using abrasive products or attempting to lighten the inner part of the teeth using a bleaching agent.
Both of these can be done by a dentist, under controlled circumstances when they are older, but using things like charcoal powder and other abrasives can really damage the protective enamel on their teeth, and ironically will leave them more susceptible to staining by the rough surface that they leave. Attempting to lighten the inner part of the tooth through bleaching agents, even those in the form of natural products such as lemon juice can also damage the enamel but also cause serious harm, especially where harsher bleaching agents such as household bleach are used. Tooth loss is quite possible, along with some significant discomfort. If you suspect your teenager to be tempted to do this, a serious talk is in order.
We all hope that our children turn into well rounded young adults and the teenage years can be a difficult time for sure. Half of the battle of ensuring that their teeth and gums remain healthy is by getting them to see a dentist on a regular basis, along with dental hygienist visits which can be very effective too. If you would like to book an appointment to see one of our Wickford dentists or hygienists, please call the Cygnet Dental Practice today on 01268 733078.