Everybody wants a perfect, pearly white smile. Unfortunately, there are many stumbling blocks that we can encounter in our daily lives that can cause our smile to lose its colour and become yellow, brown, or even black.
Fortunately, there are methods that we can use to combat this discolouration. Some methods can be performed at home, and if performed well enough in the right circumstances may be all that is necessary. Other methods should be performed by trained cosmetic dentists if your discolouration needs a more effective treatment.
One of our preferred treatments for discolouration that we use at Marylebone Smile Clinic is veneers. Our cosmetic dentists are some of the most experienced at applying veneers in London, and we can either use them independently or overhaul your full smile with a combination of well-placed veneers.
Continue reading for more information on how veneers can treat discolouration specifically.
What causes tooth discolouration?
There are many factors that cause tooth discolouration. Tooth discolouration can be broken down into three categories: stains, enamel erosion, and intrinsic damages.
Any food or drink that leaves a stain on your skin will leave a stain on the surface of your teeth. This includes coffee, tea, red wine, tomato sauces and certain fruits. Stains are also commonly caused by exposing your teeth to nicotine and tar by smoking.
Acidic foods and drinks can also disrupt the pH of your mouth, which will then lead to the erosion of enamel – the protective coating on the outside of your teeth. On top of this, the enamel on your teeth can also naturally erode and become thinner with age.
Stains are defined as extrinsic damages. Intrinsic stains are to the interior of your tooth, where the nerves and blood cells are found. If you receive trauma to your tooth, or take certain medicines, then you can damage the nerves within your tooth which then causes them to appear grey or black.
How to fix discoloured teeth
If you have discoloured teeth, then you do not need to just sit back and accept this. There are ways that you can improve the colour of your smile and therefore improve your confidence.
Cleaning
As well as regularly brushing your teeth twice a day, you should also attend regular cleaning sessions with your dentist or a dental hygienist every 6 months. During these sessions, your dentist can remove the stains that have built up on the surface of your teeth and can help return their optimal sheen.
However, there is a limit on what cleaning can achieve in terms of tooth colouration, so cleaning may not be able to give you the results that you desire.
Whitening
If the stains are too far gone, you can have your teeth professionally whitened.
Professional whitening with a peroxide solution can neutralise the stains that have built up under the surface of the tooth, improving the natural colour of your smile.
Whitening requires only one visit and takes two weeks to get your teeth to 80% of their natural whitening potential.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers can be fitted to your teeth to cover any issues with discolouration that you may have.
Your dentist will be able to improve your smile by creating veneers that are your ideal shape and colour, either by blending a single veneer in with the rest of your smile or applying multiple veneers. If you are receiving a single veneer, then the rest of your teeth can be whitened to match the colour of your new veneer tooth.
As well as this, veneers can be made to address a number of other dental issues such as tooth shape or gaps between teeth, making them one of the best and most efficient tools in cosmetic dentistry.
Do veneers stain?
No, veneers cannot get stained on their surface due to the high level of gloss on them.
However, over time the surface of veneers can wear which may make them more susceptible to discolouration. That is why it remains imperative that you follow good dental health practices after you receive veneers, and attend check up appointments with your cosmetic dentist so that you can replace them when the time is right.
Veneers at Marylebone Smile Clinic
If you have a discoloured tooth, or multiple discoloured teeth, then you should take solace in the fact that there are multiple solutions available to you.
We recommend porcelain veneers for the majority of people provided you are eligible. Not only can we remedy your discolouration using veneers, we can also use them to improve your smile if you have a number of other issues such as crooked teeth or small lateral incisors.
Do not let discolouration get in the way of your beaming smile, get in touch with our dentists at Marylebone Smile Clinic today for a consultation.
FAQs
Why are the tops of my teeth clear?
When the enamel on your teeth begins to erode as a result of acidic food, drink, or improper brushing, the enamel can lose its colour and make the tips of your teeth appear translucent. They can also appear translucent as a result of the interaction between the light shining through the thickest part of enamel.
The second layer within a tooth contains dentine which is richly coloured red and orange. When the enamel becomes thinner, the colouration shines through more.
Why are my teeth yellow even though I brush them?
Unless you are quick to negate the effects of acidic food and drink by rinsing your mouth after eating or drinking, stubborn stains can form quickly which are then tough to remove and can even erode enamel. And once enamel has eroded, it is impossible for it to return or grow back regardless of how well you brush.
Even as we age, enamel can thin by itself. Which is why it is important to take appropriate care of your teeth to extend the lifespan of their natural aesthetics.
Do whitening strips work on crooked teeth?
No, whitening strips will not be fully effective if you have crooked teeth.
We do not recommend at home whitening strips regardless of whether you have crooked teeth or not as they have the potential to damage your teeth. Instead, we recommend attending a consultation with a cosmetic dentist for an expert assessment of the best way to whiten your individual teeth.
If you want to know how to straighten crooked teeth, then see our other veneers page for more information.
How to whiten a dead front tooth?
You can whiten a ‘dead’ tooth, but the process is going to take much longer than if you were whitening a healthy tooth, and the results may not be as uniform with the rest of your teeth.
Therefore, we often recommend a patient receives a veneer or veneers if they have a dead tooth as this is the quickest and most efficient way to acquire a tooth that matches the rest of your smile.