Myth or Fact: Bright White Teeth Are The Best

It seems that everyone strives for bright white teeth. There are many toothpastes with whitening agents, whitening strips, whitening gels, and even whitening gum. Many of these don’t really do the trick of whitening your teeth, but what they do successfully is strip your teeth of the top layer of enamel, thereby permanently weakening the teeth.

Yellow teeth seem to get a bad reputation. Bright white teeth are considered a standard of beauty and good oral hygiene. However, natural healthy teeth are not exactly white. At least, not white like paper or piano keys. They are a couple of shades darker than that. The enamel itself is a bluish white colour, but it is also somewhat translucent so the yellow of the dentine beneath it shows through to make the overall color of the teeth either light gray or light yellow.

Stay Away From Bleaching Products

Breaching Products can have multiple side effects, the most common being tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity, or “dentin hypersensitivity,” is pain or discomfort in the teeth as a response to certain stimuli, such as hot or cold temperatures. If you’ve ever taken a long awaited bite of an ice cream on a hot summer day only to feel a sharp pain spreading across your teeth, you might know what I am referring to. Usually, this is caused by tooth sensitivity. Due to the harmful agents present in whitening products, the top layer of enamel can be stripped, causing painful tooth sensitivity. You can whiten your teeth naturally by eating the right foods (see my article, “10 Foods And Drinks That Whiten Your Teeth.”)

Are Yellow Teeth Better?

I guess the question is, how yellow? As previously mentioned, the enamel is a translucent bluish white, so the yellow of the dentine beneath shows through to make the overall color of the teeth either light grey or light yellow. Glowing white teeth may look better but they’re not as resistant to decay as light yellow, or ivory, teeth.

While sparkling white teeth have always been the standard for dental hygiene with multiple brands using this image to sell their products, sparkling white isn’t the healthiest color for teeth. However, deep yellow definitely isn’t a healthy color either when it comes to teeth.

If your teeth are deep yellow, you could have various dental problems, such as decay or plaque, which could weaken tooth structure and cause gum infections if left untreated. The deep yellow could also be caused by systemic conditions like diabetes or certain rare metabolic conditions, or bad habits like smoking.

What’s The Consensus?

You should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time. Give attention to every tooth and all sides of a tooth. Flossing should be done consistently every day as well. If your teeth are darker than a light yellow or ivory color, please see your dentist to determine the cause and the best course of action. Stay away from bleaching products. And lastly, do not judge others for not having sparkling white teeth!

I am Dr. Slepak, your very favorite dentist.Call today to schedule an appointment: 718.998.2424. My office is located at 2464 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn NY.