Yellowing Teeth/ Whitening
Unfortunately, yellowing teeth is not a straight forward subject. Though it can look similar on many people, it can be caused by many, many things. I will discuss some reasons based on what I see most commonly first. I do want to first mention that many people tend to think that their teeth are too yellow when in reality they are lighter than normal already. Many celebreties have what I call nuclear white teeth. Going this white with your teeth looks ridiculous in person. The natural base color of teeth is actually a slight yellow. This is due to the dentin layer under the enamel which is naturally a yellow color. The best way to know if your teeth are a color that looks natural on you, just compare it to the whites of your eyes. It should be about the same color. Now those with jaundice or osteogenesis perfecta have to take that rule with a grain of salt because these conditions change the color of the whites of the eyes. The more white one goes that is lighter than this natural eye color and the more you will make it look like your teeth are fake. You can even make it look like you wear dentures or something even if the teeth are real. Having said that….
The most common reason for teeth to be yellow is retained plaque. Now some people have a lot of plaque on the front of the teeth but most brush this area fairly well. But if one is not flossing well every day, the buildup of plaque in between the teeth will turn hard into tartar. Enamel acts a bit like an opal in reflecting light and is partially see through; hence you see some of the natural yellow dentin color show through. This yellow plaque and tartar in between the teeth can show through the enamel crystal structure and make the whole tooth look even more yellow. That is why most people notice their teeth look so much whiter after a cleaning. When a hygienist does all that scaling, they remove all of that hard to reach plaque and tartar. The way to prevent this is to floss and floss well. Not just popping the floss through the contact of the teeth but scraping both teeth before removing the floss. Inevitably even if one flosses and brushes correctly, something will be missed. So getting those regular dental cleanings are also important for white teeth.
Some teeth due to normal enamel wear over time or strong natural yellow in dentin may need whitening. If your dentin’s yellow needs toned down tooth bleaching could be a solution. Any bleaching can make the teeth very sensitive. Sometimes irreversibly so. There are over the counter ones and strong in office bleaches. The stronger the peroxide or other ingredient the more chance one will have of getting sensitive teeth. I recommend always using over the counter bleaches. It takes longer time to whiten, but there is less chance of getting super sensitive teeth. The other good thing about the over the counter bleach is that you are at less risk of over whitening so that it turns out with a natural look. I know commercials always emphasize they should be whiter than white but you will end up looking like your teeth are made from bathroom tile. Natural white that is not a perfect white (slight yellow undertones) is beautiful because it looks correct. Anything different stands out as fake and not right. Take some time to get it right and remember if you error a bit towards less whitening you can always whiten a bit more later. That brings me to my last point on whitening. It does not last forever. Breakdown of organic molecules in the dentin as well as regular metabolism might bring the color back over time so you may have to do it again several times in your life. Another reason not to fry your teeth on the first round with a very strong peroxide.
Another reason teeth turn yellow is from stain. Many foods have strong dies in them. Beets are a great example of this. Teas, coffee, cigarettes these are just a few of the very strong teeth strainers. Copious consumption of these and similar things can stain the outer surface of the enamel and until it is removed with abrasives (the toothpaste the hygienist uses) it won’t go away. Some people who really use these things a lot or have naturally porous enamel can get more permanent, deeper stains. Fake tooth structure such as composite filling and veneers can also stain with some foods especially along the interface between dental material and real teeth. The only way to avoid these types of stains is to cut back on consumption of the foods that cause it. There are many of them. If you keep getting stains and you suspect it is from food think of things you eat every day habitually. One of them might be the culprit.
Wear and erosion of the enamel from acidic diet, wear, grinding, acid reflux, bulimia, and other things can also cause yellowing. This is because as the enamel wastes away, there it less of it to cover up the dentin and its natural yellow color. Crowns, veneers, fills could possibly restore the depth of enamel color to neutralize the yellowing. The way to avoid this is by stopping the cause. For acidic diet, don’t eat as much tomato sauce products or lemonade. Dental wear might be avoided with a night guard. Acid reflux with medication and weight loss. Bulimia with psychiatric care. Whatever the cause seems to be the cause in your particular case that is what needs to be stopped.
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