Although human teeth are not always pearly white, they are beautiful and strong. But they lose that sparkle and beauty as you age. Tooth discoloration is an issue that many adults battle with. Even though your teeth were beautiful as a child, they lose their whiteness with time. Regardless of how well you care for them, your teeth can start discoloration as you age, affecting your smile and esteem. There are many reasons why this happens. Fortunately, your dentist can help determine the cause of your tooth discoloration and recommend a treatment to restore your smile and confidence.
Reasons Your Teeth Are Less White
If you have diligently brushed and flossed your teeth over the years and visited your dentist for routine checkups, you will be disappointed to see your teeth losing their natural sparkle. Naturally, human teeth do not remain the same as you grow older. Several elements affect their sparkle and beauty, resulting in severe discoloration and staining that affect your smile and confidence. Remember that most aspects of your body change as you age, and your teeth are not immune to it. However, a skilled dentist can help you determine the cause of the changes you see in your teeth and the best treatment for them.
In most cases, the natural teeth lose their whiteness with time due to the yellowing of the dentin. Your natural teeth enjoy the protection of a strong enamel. It is the most substantial element in the body. But with time, the enamel wears out, exposing the dentin, which is prone to damaging elements. Once your enamel starts thinning, you notice a change in the appearance of your once-beautiful teeth. Other factors worsen the discoloration, including habits like smoking, the foods and beverages you consume, like tea and coffee, and the inability to maintain good oral habits.
Typically, your teeth become yellowish as you age. This color mainly occurs due to the different foods and drinks you consume. If you consume colored foods, some of the colors can remain stuck on your teeth. It is challenging to clean various color stains from the dentin as they were before the enamel wore out. Some teeth become brownish due to poor oral hygiene or unhealthy habits like smoking. Generally, using tobacco will eventually affect how your teeth look. Your teeth can become purplish if you are in the habit of consuming alcohol, especially red wine.
Untreated tooth decay or dental trauma can also change the appearance of your teeth over time. If one or more of your teeth turn grayish, it could mean that its nerves have died and the tooth receives insufficient blood flow. Some teeth develop white flecks over time due to dental fluorosis. If you consume high fluoride levels, your teeth will change over time. Additionally, your teeth can develop black spots due to tooth decay.
It is necessary to note the various changes in the appearance of your teeth and speak to your dentist about them. Fortunately, dentists have a wide range of treatments to improve the appearance of natural teeth. This will restore your smile and confidence and help you eliminate problems in the mouth that can result in serious dental or oral issues.
Here are some of the reasons why your teeth lose their sparkle as you age:
The Wear and Tear of the Enamel
Your teeth serve a significant purpose. In addition to beautifying your smile, you also need strong teeth to chew and bite. Natura teeth are designed to be strong and beautiful. The enamel, which is the outer cover of natural teeth, protects the inner structures of a tooth from external damage. Hence, it must be solid. Typically, the enamel protects your teeth from chemical, thermal, and physical damage. It requires significant trauma and serious elements to break or damage a natural tooth. For example, your tooth can be affected by a cavity. It takes some time for a cavity to damage your teeth significantly.
But natural teeth do not enjoy the same degree of protection when you are young or old. Just like every part of your body, the enamel is subject to wear and tear. After continuous use of your teeth, the enamel becomes weak and susceptible to damage. Then, it is unable to protect your teeth like before. This leaves your tooth prone to all kinds of damage, including discoloration. The dentin, the second layer of a tooth after the enamel, stains easily. Your teeth will start losing their whiteness with every colored food you eat. Remember that the dentin is also tricky to keep clean, unlike the enamel.
If your tooth’ enamel has suffered wear and tear as you age, your dentist can recommend various treatments to restore or improve your teeth' appearance. For example, your dentist can recommend dental crowns if you need to cover a significant part of your damaged tooth to improve its appearance. Dentists also use dental veneers to cover a part of the damaged tooth. Veneers are strong, thin, and beautiful. Additionally, your dentist will recommend improving your oral hygiene habits to keep damaging elements like stuck food particles out of your teeth.
Different Staining Agents
Once your teeth’ enamel wears out, your dentin becomes exposed to different staining agents. Remember that dentin is more prone to stains than enamel. It is also not as white as the enamel.
Food is at the top of the list of staining agents that affect your teeth as you age. What you eat can affect your teeth positively or negatively. For example, beverages containing caffeine are highly staining. When you enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, the tannins in the drink seep into the exposed pores of the dentin, leaving deep stains behind. This happens with every sip of coffee or tea you consume. Eventually, you end up with deep blackish stains that regular brushing cannot eliminate. Regular beverages, like coffee, are also acidic. Acid weakens the tooth’s enamel, making it susceptible to damage and staining.
Red wine is also a highly staining agent. If you regularly consume red wine, you will eventually notice some changes in the appearance of your teeth.
Tobacco is another common tooth-staining agent. People who consume tobacco, whether through smoking or otherwise, notice significant changes in their teeth’s appearance over time.
Your dentist will help you identify the staining agents affecting your teeth. In addition to offering a solution for your already discolored teeth, they will advise you against agents that will affect your teeth’ appearance as you age. For example, your dentist can advise you to drop habits like smoking or tobacco consumption, as they are also detrimental to your general well-being. The dentist can recommend reducing your intake of colored foods and beverages. Ensure you rinse your mouth thoroughly after consuming anything colored to minimize its effect on your teeth.
Genetic Factors
Genetic factors significantly affect your appearance, including how your teeth appear. Some people are born with pearly white teeth, and others with less-perfect teeth. Because of your genes, your teeth appear the way they do as a child or in adulthood. Understanding how genetics affect your teeth' appearance can help you obtain an ideal solution to improve your teeth' appearance and smile.
When you visit your dentist with discoloration concerns, they will review your treatment and family history after the dental examination to determine your best treatment approach. It helps to disclose what you know about how the teeth of other people in your family appear, which could help the dentist determine the cause of your teeth' discoloration.
However, this does not mean that your dentist will overlook other factors that could be causing your teeth to lose their whiteness. Your dentist will conduct a detailed examination and review to determine the causes of your problem. In addition to genetics, your teeth could lose whiteness because of unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive coffee intake.
Fortunately, there are treatments to explore to improve your teeth's appearance. Professional teeth whitening can help. People who undergo teeth whitening and follow their dentist’s instructions carefully do not worry much about their teeth losing their whiteness in the future. However, teeth whitening does not always work. If it does not work for you, or you prefer a different treatment, your dentist can recommend veneers or dental crowns, depending on the location of the stained teeth, your preference, and your budget. Dental bonding is also an excellent solution for people with a strict budget.
Different Types of Medicines
Remember that what you consume can affect your teeth' health and appearance. This includes medication. Some people start losing their teeth whiteness after starting a particular medication. For example, some antibiotics children take, including tetracycline, cause intrinsic stains on their teeth. Intrinsic stains are more dangerous because they stain the tooth from the inside, making it default to remove the status through regular brushing and teeth whitening. This explains why your dentist first asks about the medication you are on and the treatments you have undergone in the past as part of your examination and diagnosis.
Fortunately, some treatments can rectify the effects of staining medication. If your teeth have suffered intrinsic staining, teeth whitening solutions and improvements in oral health habits will not help you achieve the desired results. Some home solutions, like activated charcoal and bicarbonate of soda, will not help much either, but treatments like dental bonding can.
Dentists apply a composite material that appears just like your teeth to the affected teeth during dental bonding. This gives the stained tooth a brand-new look, instantly improving your smile. Dental bonding is easy, quick, and non-invasive. However, it is not as long-lasting as other treatments like dental veneers and crowns. You must take good care of your treated teeth for a long time. But if you need a solution that will last you for years, your dentist will recommend crowns or veneers.
Some Dental Treatments
Some dental problems and treatments affect your teeth’s appearance. For example, a cavity will affect your smile, primarily if it affects your front or visible teeth. Some dental treatments will also change the appearance of your teeth over time. Many people undergoing various dental treatments only notice their impact on their looks and smiles later in life. For example, if you have undergone root canal therapy, your tooth can discolor, especially if you retain the natural tooth. For example, the tooth can become graying and eventually blackish due to a lack of continuous blood flow. Dental fillings also affect your teeth’s appearance. Metal fillings like amalgam are not the same color as your natural tooth.
It helps to speak to a skilled dentist who understands your concern and your need to maintain a beautiful and healthy smile. They will discuss the treatments available to you and help you make an informed decision. For example, if one or more of your teeth are severely affected, your dentist can prepare them for dental crown installation. This will restore the appearance, strength, and functionality of the tooth. If crowns are expensive, you choose dental bonding to improve your teeth' appearance on a budget.
Find a Competent Dentist Near Me
Like other body parts, your teeth are not meant to remain the same over time. Some changes occur as you age that can affect the appearance and functionality of your teeth. How your teeth appear is crucial as it determines the confidence and beauty of your smile. That is why dentists offer a wide range of solutions for teeth that have lost their whiteness as you age.
Our dentists at Northridge Advanced Dentistry are willing and able to explain your treatment options and help you narrow them down to the one you prefer, the most effective one, and one that fits your budget. We can also provide fail-free tips to maintain a healthy smile at home. Call us at 818-701-3010 if your teeth have started losing their whiteness in Northridge. Let us discuss your oral health and our services in more detail.
