How Your Lifestyle Affects Your Tooth Color - Advanced Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry, Teeth Whitening, Veneers / August 19, 2022 by LUMN

It’s a common desire for people to want white teeth. But the majority of people have discolored or just plain yellow teeth. Especially in a world of tea and coffee drinkers.

Your Genes Make a Difference

As with other physical aspects, there is a genetic component to your oral health. You can thank your parents if your enamel is thick and durable. If it is resistant to decay, you can thank them again. Even more importantly, you can thank them if they taught you to take care of your teeth.

Like complexions, natural tooth shade varies from person to person. Some of us have whiter teeth naturally. But many people have stained teeth due to their lifestyle. Dietary practices and dental hygiene influence tooth color as well as overall oral health.

Lifestyle Habits That Affect Tooth Color

Did you know that your enamel is like your skin? It contains pores that can get clogged and discolored. The most common practices that work against you are:

Tobacco and other smokable substances
Sodas and other dark colored drinks, i.e. coffee, red wines, and teas
Not practicing daily oral hygiene
Not having proper dental care

If you want to illuminate your teeth, the aforementioned habits will constantly work against you.

We recommend kicking these habits to the curb if you want the whitest teeth possible. (There are compelling health considerations as well.)

Acids Weaken Enamel

Another way these practices cause teeth yellowing is due to acids. A continual onslaught of acidic beverages erodes tooth enamel. This is true whether or not the liquids are dark colored.

Dentin Isn’t The Best Look For Your Smile

The tooth layer under the enamel is called dentin. Unfortunately, dentin is dark yellow. If you are weakening your enamel, you are making it easier to see the yellow dentin. Dentin is also softer and more prone to decay—which is more harmful than a yellow smile.

Jaw Clenching and Teeth Grinding

Jaw clenching can also weaken enamel and contribute to tooth discoloration. If you clench your jaw repeatedly, you are weakening your enamel. Ditto for teeth grinding. Talk to dentist McKay about treatment for these conditions.

Professional Teeth Whitening at Advanced Cosmetic Implant & Laser Dentistry

Professional professional teeth bleaching is the only way to remove the stains caused by the habits listed. This is due to the intrinsic stains that have permeated the enamel.