Many teens express an interest in whitening their teeth. Social pressures may lead them to this. There is no set age for bleaching, but it is not recommended for young teens. Young people have larger pulp chambers. As we get older it reduces in size, allowing for more internal hard tooth structure, dentin, to cover it. This forms a greater barrier between the nerve and the outside world, decreasing the amount of sensitivity to the whitening agents.
The agent generally used for bleaching is peroxide. The sensitivity can be decreased by using toothpaste for sensitivity and adding over the counter fluoride rinses to the home routine.
Over the counter bleaching products in any form such as strips or gels, are all effective. It takes much longer to see the results, 6-8 weeks, as opposed to an in-office procedure which takes just a couple of hours, but they are effective. These home products also give more control to the patient, if sensitivity arises, the procedure can be stopped. With patience and consistency, great results can be obtained.