The idea that having bright, white teeth means that you are healthy has been driven into our minds for what seems like forever. However, your teeth can become discolored for many different reasons. Keep reading to find out what the color of your teeth says about you and how you can brighten them.
White Teeth
When your teeth are white, it typically gives the impression that your smile is healthy and that you practice a proper dental care routine. Studies also show that this tooth color can also make you appear younger and increase your attractiveness. However, an impression is not equivalent to a fact. Because you a whitening treatment can change your tooth color, having white teeth does not mean your smile is healthy.
Yellow Teeth
This is the most common color of teeth. A light-yellow color indicates a strong healthy smile. The natural color of your dentin, the layer of tiny tubules that lies beneath your enamel and connects to the dental nerve in each tooth, is yellow. Because enamel is essentially translucent, the color of your dentin is slightly revealed and gives your teeth a yellow tint. However, as you age, the yellow color of your teeth is likely to become darker. Certain foods and drinks can also cause teeth to take on a darker yellow color.
Brown Teeth
If your teeth have a brown tint, it is very likely that you have made a habit of consuming tannin-rich products like wine, black tea, or coffee. Tannins are a group of bitter and astringing compounds that can be found in wood, bark, leaves and fruit that give foods and beverages their dark color. Grapes, oak, cacao, walnuts and rhubarb are all foods that naturally contain tannins and carry staining properties. Brown teeth can also be the result of frequently using nicotine and tobacco products. Brown spotting on your teeth also suggests the buildup of tartar (hardened plaque).
How to Improve Your Dental Appearance
There are many options available to change the color of your teeth. Practicing a proper dental care routine that includes brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing every day is one way to improve your dental appearance. Another option is to get an in-office or at-home professional whitening treatment from your dentist. This treatment offers the ability to make your smile up to 8 shades whiter and uses stronger, more effective products than you would find in over-the-counter items that promise to whiten your teeth.
Tooth color plays a crucial role in helping you to distinguish healthy teeth from unhealthy teeth. If you notice that your dental appearance is changing in color, it is a good idea to schedule a visit with your dentist so they can evaluate your oral health.
About the Author
At Lifetime Dental, Dr. Shue Her is dedicated to providing his patients with personalized, top-quality dental care. He earned his doctorate from the University of Minnesota School of dentistry and continues to pursue advanced training to expand his clinical skills and techniques. With a career that spans over a decade, Dr. Her offers a wide range of dental treatments including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and more. If you’d like to discuss teeth whitening, contact the office at (770) 536-6688 or visit the website to schedule an appointment today.
FAQs
Because enamel is essentially translucent, the color of your dentin is slightly revealed and gives your teeth a yellow tint. However, as you age, the yellow color of your teeth is likely to become darker. Certain foods and drinks can also cause teeth to take on a darker yellow color.
What does the color of your teeth say about you? ›
The inner portion of your teeth, the dentin, is naturally yellowish or tannish gray. In strong, young, healthy teeth, the layers of enamel hide the dinginess of the dentin. Aging, your lifestyle, and certain drugs and diseases may discolor your teeth, leaving them looking yellow, brown, green, or spotted.
Is the B1 tooth shade too white? ›
The B1 shade is commonly thought to be the whitest shade, but this is not the case. The B1 shade used to be the whitest shade for natural teeth. Now, with the introduction of bleaching products, the once natural shade has become much lighter. There are now colors even lighter than the lightest B1 shade.
What is the correct tooth color? ›
Since its chemical and structural composition is naturally not perfectly white, it is 100% natural for the teeth to have a slightly yellow tint. However, if your teeth begin to take on a medium or deep yellow shade, then that is cause for alarm.
Does the color of your teeth matter? ›
We've listed a few myths concerning the coloring of teeth, as well as some causes of teeth coloration. The color of your teeth is not a clear indicator of oral health. When it comes to teeth, people have different shades and tints. In fact, the color of your teeth depends on multiple other factors.
What Colour is unhealthy teeth? ›
Brown Teeth
Brown-colored teeth imply the teeth have gone through excessive straining and may be a sign of poor oral health or an underlying medical condition. Brown teeth are often caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and repeated nicotine and tobacco use.
What your teeth say about your ethnicity? ›
Individuals with Native American, Chinese, Inuit, or Aleutian ancestry are most likely to have this incisor tooth shape, which can also appear like a T when viewed from underneath. Moreover, the talon cusp emerges during early odontogenesis, just like other dental abnormalities that impact one's teeth.
What color is a dying tooth? ›
A dying tooth may appear yellow, light brown, gray, or even black. It may look almost as if the tooth is bruised. The discoloration will increase over time as the tooth continues to decay and the nerve dies. If you experience any symptoms of a dying tooth, it's important to see your dentist right away.
What is the most common tooth shade? ›
Results: Results showed that A3 was the most common classical tooth shade respectively.
What color should teeth naturally be? ›
Enamel is on the surface of every tooth and it has a natural hue of white. However, the underlying dentin layer has a slightly yellowish color. This yellowish hue shows through the enamel in almost everyone, but more so for those with naturally thinner or more translucent enamel.
Fortunately, there are ways of making your yellow teeth white, from improving your oral hygiene and diet to visiting the dentist and having them professionally whitened. There's no need to feel ashamed of your smile anymore.
Can a grey tooth turn white again? ›
What to expect if a tooth turns gray. Gray teeth may not go back to their original color unless they're treated with whitening agents. If you don't get the results you want from at-home treatment, your dentist may recommend in-office bleaching or veneers.
Is it unattractive to have yellow teeth? ›
DrBicuspid (2/11) reported that in a “survey of 4,906 people” conducted by DentaVox, “80% of respondents said yellow teeth are less attractive than white teeth.” In addition, “38% of respondents described their teeth as yellow, and of this group, 33% cited poor oral health as the main cause, DentaVox found.”
What do the shades of your teeth mean? ›
If you have brown stains and pitting (small holes) in your teeth, it probably means you have untreated tooth decay. Purple teeth stains usually affect people who consume a lot of red wine. Gray tooth discoloration may mean that the nerve inside your tooth has died. Dental trauma can cause this.
Which teeth shade is best? ›
You now know what the whitest shade of teeth is (B1 in natural shades and OM1 in Hollywood-white shades), but is the whitest tooth shade really the best shade for you? A few guidelines can help you choose: If you want a beautiful, healthy-looking smile, go for B1 or A1.
How attractive are yellow teeth? ›
In the survey of 4,906 people, 80% of respondents said yellow teeth are less attractive than white teeth.
Are white teeth attractive? ›
It's true, though. In studies done comparing people with decayed teeth, people with teeth in natural shades, and people with whitened teeth, people with white teeth were viewed in the most positive light. Americans place significant importance on physical appearance as a reflection of the type of person that you are.
