Ask most people and they would do anything to achieve sparkly white teeth. It is known to make people feel more confident and to give a big boost to their self-esteem. Some of it has to do with celebrities and the media. Catch any Hollywood celebrity posing on the red carpet and the one thing you will notice is their white smile. So much so that a white smile is often referred to as a Hollywood smile.
Are white teeth a sign of being healthy teeth?
While white teeth look & feel good, is a white tooth necessarily a healthy smile? Not always. In fact, healthy teeth can range anywhere from white to yellow. This is because different layers of one’s teeth have different colors. While the outer layer or the enamel is blue and white in color, the middle layer of the dentin is light-yellow. If you do not have sufficient enamel in your teeth and have a dense layer of dentin, your teeth are inclined to be slightly yellow in color. Additionally, with age as the enamel wears off, yellowish teeth are a reality. Some of the other factors that influence the color of the teeth include:
- Genetics
- Diet
- Oral Hygiene
- Consuming tea, coffee, wine, cola
- Smoking
- Damage of teeth due to accident or trauma
- Tooth decay or root exposure
- Certain medical treatments that can cause staining of teeth
Can dental issues affect the color of your teeth?
While many people think that all problems in the teeth will show up in discoloration, the fact is that sometimes issues like gum disease or issues such as tooth grinding may not have anything to do with the tooth color. In fact, sometimes you may not even get to know of some of these issues unless you have regular dental check-ups. So, on the face of it you may have a bright smile while there could be several underlying issues. Clearly then the color of the teeth isn’t a definitive indicator of its health.
On the other hand, if your teeth aren’t sparkly white naturally, it may not be the cause of an alarm, as the color does not necessarily indicate the health of the teeth.
Tips to maintain a healthy and white smile
If you want a healthy and a bright smile, there are several best practices that you need to follow. Some of these include:
- Good oral hygiene – Brushing your teeth twice daily is the most important thing to do when it comes to maintaining a healthy and bright smile. Flossing your teeth is yet another must-do. This will ensure that any residual foods are removed that bacteria can feed on. Rinsing your mouth after every meal, use of mouthwash and cleaning your tongue are other things that you must include in your oral care routine.
- Do not have food that stains your teeth – It is advisable that you do not have excessive consumption of tea, coffee, soda, red wine that are known to stain your teeth. Additionally smoking tends to stain your teeth.
- Reduce the quantity of sugar you consume.
- Over & above this regular visits to the dentist are a must-do. This is the only way you can catch any issues that impact your oral health, early.
Teeth-Whitening
If your teeth are healthy otherwise but you are unhappy with their color, teeth-whitening is always an option. For that, it is important that you do not use any over-the counter products without consulting your dentist. The right professional treatment from a qualified dentist, instead is the best way to give you dramatically brighter results.
Your dentist will be able to assess the suitability of the different professional teeth-whitening treatments to your bespoke requirements. These are safe methods that offer quick results. Some of these methods include:
In-office treatment, that in turn can be done in any of the below two ways:
Deep Bleach Teeth Whitening
In this method whiteners with peroxide are used to lighten your teeth. The whiteners contain bleaching agents that can effectively make your teeth look whiter.
Laser Teeth Whitening
This involves applying bleach to each tooth while applying heat to it.
There is also the ability to offer at-home treatments where custom whitening trays are created for your teeth. Putting whitening gel in the trays and wearing the tray for several hours a day is known to show results in about 2 weeks.
Cosmetic Dentistry Options
Apart from teeth whitening there are several cosmetic dentistry options also that aid in you getting that bright smile. These involve the use of fillings such as composite or glass ionomers. The composite fillings particularly are known for the fact that they are tooth colored & can restore your smile like little else.
To sum up
While a bright white smile is good to have, it is more important that your smile be healthy. A smile that is short of sparkly white need not always indicate a problem. To ensure that your teeth remains white you need to undertake several oral hygiene practices as well as stay away from certain foods. There are several tooth whitening services that are available. However, it is imperative that it be undertaken with an experienced dentist.
Above everything it is important that you ensure having regular dental checks ups. Ideally these checks ups should be bi-annual. They are crucial in treating any potential issues quickly. This could range from plaque & tartar that impact your looks as well as health to more life-threatening issues such as oral cancer.
Here’s to those pearly white teeth and staying healthy!
We offer a full array of dental services including root canal, tooth whitening, dentures, tooth extraction, and more to help you maintain healthy teeth. Call us on (925) 846-4491 or email us on office@dentaloasispleasanton.com to schedule a dental appointment.