Why Do Teeth Darken?

Loadsof people envy the sparkling white smiles that grace the mouths of celebritieson television, on the big screen and in magazines. The truth is that most ofthese individuals have help achieving dazzling white teeth. Dentist-performedwhitening treatments, porcelainveneers, dental bonding, professional at-home whitening systems and evenwhitening toothpastes all help to improve toothdiscolorations that can naturally occur to everyone, regardless of socialstatus or wealth. 

Simple Tooth Anatomy

Teethare made up of four main elements:

• Pulp: nerves and blood vessels in the tooth’s soft center
• Cementum: a soft, yellowish bony tissue that protects the tooth root and provides stability
• Dentin: a hard, yellowish layer under the enamel that protects the tooth
• Enamel: the hard visible tooth layer that protects the tooth from environmental factors

Everyperson’s tooth enamel color is slightly different, ranging in color fromdifferent shades of white, yellow or gray. There are also various levels oftranslucency in the enamel, which differs for every person and depends on eachperson’s own unique genetic make-up. Because of this translucency, theyellowish-colored dentin layer can show through, creating less-than-perfectwhite teeth.

Reasons for ToothDarkening

Thereare many different reasons why teeth can become darkened or discolored. As aperson ages, the teeth have more time to succumb to environmental factors or enamelloss which is why many older individuals are plagued with yellow or grey-tintedteeth. Some common causes of tooth darkening include:

• Food or drink stains from coffee, soda, wine, tea, blueberries or other acidic foods
• Smoking or tobacco use
• Accidents that cause trauma to the tooth nerves
• Genetic defects
• Flurosis or excessive fluoride use
• Failure to brush and floss regularly to remove plaque and stains
• Root canals which can damage the tooth nerves
• Certain medications, including the antibiotic tetracycline when it is administered to children whose teeth are still forming enamel
• Diseases, nutritional deficiencies, infections or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation
• Silver mercury fillings, which can darken over time
• Food and drink temperature changes, which cause teeth to contract and expand and allow stains to penetrate the enamel

Prevention of ToothDarkening

Certaintypes of tooth darkening can be prevented. By changing habits, such as quittingsmoking or avoiding staining foods and drinks, some tooth discoloration can beprevented. Regular trips to the dentist as well as daily brushing and flossingwill also go a long way toward maintaining a brighter smile.

Itis a fact that genetics play a large role in the whiteness of teeth, and somediscoloration is simply out of a person’s control. This is where cosmeticdentists can step in and offer tooth whiteningalternatives like the options listed earlier.