What Factors Affect the Color of your Teeth?
Some people are born with teeth that are more yellow than others.
Others have teeth that yellow with age. Your natural tooth color
can also be affected by many factors. Surface stains and discoloration
can be caused by:
Tobacco
( whether smoked or chewed )
Drink coffee,
tea, or red wine
Having highly
pigmented foods such as cherries and blueberries
Accumulation
of tartar deposits, which result from plaque that
has hardened
Treatment with
the tetracycline during the time when teeth are forming
Yellowing of
the teeth as part of the aging process
Trauma to the
teeth that may result in the death of the tooth vitality.
Ingesting too
much fluoride when teeth are forming ( from birth
to age 16 ), which makes
teeth a mottled look
Teeth whitening, or
tooth bleaching, is a cosmetic dentistry procedure designed to remove
stains and discoloration, as well as lighten pigmentation within the
teeth. The level of whiteness that can be achieved will depend on the
level of discoloration of the teeth and how they came to be stained.
Teeth that are brown or yellow due to coffee, tea, or smoking stains
will generally lighten four to five shades. Teeth that are grey due to
pigmentation within the teeth will lighten two to three shades.
Teeth whitening can be done in one of two ways: In-office
bleaching or at-home tooth bleaching kits provided by a cosmetic
dentist. Both of these methods are done under a cosmetic dentists
supervision so that the chance of negative side effects is
reduced.
