Why Are My Teeth Losing Their Whiteness?

No one’s teeth stay pearly white indefinitely. From your daily lifestyle habits to genetic factors, you can expect some amount of change in the whiteness level of your teeth throughout your life. Thankfully, if you’re bothered by these changes, you don’t have to grin and bear them.

At Arya Dental in Fullerton, California, Saeed Mokhayeri, DDS, and Hengameh Safarcherati, DDS, provide professional teeth whitening treatment using the Zoom! in-office system. Read on to learn more about tooth discoloration, including ways we can help.

Types of tooth discoloration

The color of your teeth can change for several reasons, leading to a smile that appears less white or bright. You might notice that your entire teeth are more yellow or grayish than you’d like or that certain teeth have only spots of different hues. 

The three types of tooth discoloration are:

• Extrinsic discoloration, which stems from something that came into contact with your teeth
• Intrinsic discoloration, meaning it’s caused by something within your body or teeth
• Age-related discoloration, which derives from wear and tear or behaviors over time

Factors that take away from tooth whiteness

There’s a range of reasons that the color of your teeth change, including:

• Certain foods, such as pastas and potatoes
• Certain beverages, such as red wine, colas, tea, and coffee
• Poor dental hygiene habits, such as skipping flossing
• Diseases that affect tooth enamel, such as liver disease and eating disorders
• Calcium deficiency from restrictive eating or poor nutrient absorption
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation
• Certain medications, such as doxycycline tetracycline 
• Injuries to your teeth

And the longer any one of these factors continues, the more likely you’ll be to experience tooth discoloration. Drinking an occasional glass of red wine, for example, won’t likely cause major issues. Drinking red wine nightly, on the other hand, probably will stain your teeth over time. 

Genetic factors also play a role in the color of your teeth. If thinner enamel runs in your family, you’re more likely to experience discoloration as that enamel wears thinner with passing years.

How professional teeth whitening can help

At Arya Dental, we offer professional whitening using the Zoom! system. We apply a light-activated whitening gel, which contains hydrogen peroxide. As the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, oxygen enters your enamel and dentin, essentially bleaching away any colored substance without damaging the structure of the tooth. 

While home whitening options can be useful, professional whitening can help ensure that you receive more pronounced benefits quickly. You also don’t have to worry about accidentally bleaching your gums or making other errors, which is easy to do with home whitening products.

Zoom! In-office treatment takes just over an hour. With at-home products, you may have to wear whitening trays on your teeth for periods of time daily for several days or even weeks.

To learn more about teeth discoloration or to get the whitening treatment you desire, call our Fullerton, California, office or request an appointment through this website today.