Maybe you've always wanted a beautiful white smile. Or your teeth have yellowed over time. Or you're not happy with the staining that results from drinking coffee, tea or cola. Whatever your reason for wanting whiter teeth, you're not alone.
Just like we all have different hair and skin color, people also have different tooth color. Some teeth are more yellow than others, while others yellow with aging. Your natural tooth color can also be affected by many factors.
Surface stains and internal discoloration can be caused by:
- The natural aging process
- Using tobacco (smoked or chewed), drinking coffee, tea,
colas or red wine, and eating pigmented foods such as
cherries and blueberries - Accumulation of plaque and tartar deposits
- Ingesting too much fluoride (more than 2 parts fluoride per million
parts water) when teeth are forming, which gives teeth a "mottled" look - Treatment with the antibiotic tetracycline during childhood
- Trauma to the teeth that may cause a brown, gray or black color
