For many people, white teeth mean a beautiful white smile - and yellowish, discolored teeth mean the opposite. On this page you can read more about the causes of discolored teeth, as well as tips and tricks for habits that make your teeth look better.
Remember that we also offer professional teeth whitening at Tandliv. Contact us today to find out more.
Why do teeth become discolored?
For many, a gleaming row of bright white teeth is synonymous with health, beauty and, not least, youth. Because yes, your teeth were most likely significantly whiter when you were a child - and that's perfectly natural.
Our teeth become more yellow and discolored with age as the tooth enamel wears away. This gradually reveals the warm, yellowish color of the dentin, making your teeth look more yellowish.
Discolorations can also be caused by defects in the teeth, hereditary causes or a dead nerve - for example during a root canal. This type of discoloration is known in the dental industry as internal discoloration.
Conversely, dentists also talk about external discolorations. As the name suggests, external discoloration is caused by external influences.
Typical causes of external discoloration
- Dark and colorful foods and drinks like coffee, cola, red wine, licorice and blueberries, which are all rich in molecules with a high color content.
- Tannic acid - or tannin - is also one of the biggest culprits when it comes to the causes of discolored teeth. Found in black tea, red wine and dark chocolate, tannic acid makes it easier for high-color molecules to stick to tooth enamel.
- Fruit acids from apples, grapes and citrus fruits, as well as citric and phosphoric acid in sodas, break down the calcium on tooth enamel and create grooves in the teeth. This makes it easier for food coloring to stick to the teeth. Acidic foods and drinks (especially sodas and energy drinks) can also cause acid damage, so it's not just for cosmetic reasons that you should cut back on sweet, acidic drinks - but also for dental health.
- Smoking is almost the worst culprit. In addition to being extremely harmful to your health, smoking also manifests itself in the color of your teeth. Tar and nicotine easily stick to the enamel of your teeth, giving your teeth a dull coating.
The reason why the above-mentioned causes discolor teeth can be found in the tooth enamel. The enamel is not as smooth as it looks - it's a bit nubby and rough. And it is in these natural grooves that acids, colorful molecules, nicotine and tar can get stuck.
How do you get white teeth naturally?
The easy advice, of course, is to stay away from the habits that stain your teeth. But there should be room for a cup of coffee in the morning, a fruit snack in the afternoon, a glass of red wine in the evening and maybe a soft drink every now and then - life is meant to be lived.
You don't necessarily have to resort to complete abstinence to get white teeth. Instead, you can think about your consumption of discoloring foods - and then take the following precautions.
- Brush and floss carefully - at least twice a day. Because in addition to keeping your teeth healthy and clean, good dental hygiene also helps remove plaque - and therefore discoloration - from your teeth.
- Rinse your mouth with water after consuming fruit, juice, coffee, tea and red wine so that the acid doesn't sit on your teeth for longer periods of time.
- Use a straw when drinking sodas, juices and other coloring, acidic drinks. This helps prevent the liquid's colorants and acid from coming into contact with your teeth.
- Eat and drink at the same time. If your teeth are constantly bathed in acid and colorful molecules, they are more likely to become discolored. So drink your soda in one go and don't eat fruit several times during the week, but instead in one go - for example during lunch or as a snack.
White teeth at the dentist
If your teeth are already discolored, whitening can make them white again. There are several different modern types of home whitening that we do not recommend. To ensure the most optimal whitening process and results, we always recommend that you have your teeth whitened by a dentist.
At Tandliv, you can whiten your teeth with a gentle and effective method.
Here's how it works:
Impressions of your teeth
One of our dentists will measure your teeth and make an impression from which we can design personalized aligners for you.
You get to take the rails home with you
Once the splints are made, you'll take them home with you along with a bleaching gel to put into the splints before you put them on.
Use splints and gel at home
At home, you need to wear the trays for a few hours at a time. The number of at-home whitening sessions you need to go through depends on how discolored your teeth are.
How white do they turn?
Before you start whitening, we will talk to you about the expected result.
How white your teeth will be depends on how much discoloration you have in the first place - and how that discoloration started. For example, discoloration that occurred during the formation of your tooth is harder to remove than discoloration that has developed afterwards.
NOTE: You should be aware that if you have plastic fillings on your teeth, the filling may look different from your natural teeth after whitening. Therefore, you should consider whether your fillings need to be replaced before whitening.
How often should they be bleached?
Whitening too often is not healthy for your teeth as it wears down the enamel. That's why we recommend that you don't whiten your teeth more often than every two years.
Don't get your teeth whitened if:
There are some cases where teeth whitening is not optimal. This is the case if your teeth have acid damage or if you suffer from gum disease periodontal disease.
You can read more about teeth whitening here.
