What you can and can’t control when it comes to your pearly whites.
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| Greetings, friends! Unless you’re Vanna White, you’ve probably noticed your teeth looking less and less white over the years. There are a lot of factors that can take a toll on our enamel as we age. And today we’re going to look at what we can and cannot control when it comes to the whiteness of our smile. We’ll also get expert insights into the safest and most effective options for getting rid of tooth staining. |
| Some other stuff to look forward to today: |
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Stay sharp,
Ginger Wojcik
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |
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Written by Ginger Wojcik
April 25, 2024 • 5 min read |
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| Why do my teeth look less white these days? |
Tooth discoloration happens in two main ways: through extrinsic and intrinsic staining. Extrinsic staining happens when the outer layer of your teeth get stained by prolonged exposure to things like coffee, cigarettes, and red wine. Intrinsic staining happens when the darker inner layer of your teeth shows through your enamel.
Some aspects of teeth whiteness are out of our control:
- Genetics: Enamel thickness varies from person to person, which means some of us have naturally whiter teeth than others. (Enamel is the outer white layer of the tooth.)
- Age: Tooth enamel naturally wears over time. While proper dental hygiene habits can do a lot to prevent this, some amount of wear and tear is unavoidable.
However, there are many things you can do to take control of your pearly whites:
- Perfect your dental hygiene: According to Charlie Cage, DDS, MS, the first place to start is with clean teeth. “Step up brushing and flossing combined with scheduling an appointment for a professional cleaning.”
- Limit foods that stain your teeth: And brush soon after consuming them.
- Remineralize your teeth: Examples of this include eating a calcium-rich diet and brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
- Quit smoking: Tobacco can take a serious toll on the appearance of your teeth.
- Avoid overly fluoridated water and the antibiotic tetracycline: These are both known causes of intrinsic staining in children.
What about teeth whitening methods, you ask?! Read our next story to find out more.
More on dental hygiene:
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| Editor faves with health perks |
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| Huppy Toothpaste Tablets |
| Plastic can feel like an unavoidable evil, especially when it comes to personal care products, but strides are being made to replace our dependence on it. One such innovation is toothpaste tablets, which are little dissolvable pellets that you pop into your mouth in place of toothpaste. This fluoride-free option from Huppy contains nano-hydroxyapatite, which research shows is as effective as fluoride at remineralizing teeth. |
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| Every product we recommend has gone through Healthline's vetting process. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline is owned by RVO Health. |
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| An expert weighs in |
Q: Are tongue scrapers worth the hype?
A: Tongue scrapers are one of my personal favorite oral hygiene tools! They are actually a fantastic way to treat halitosis (bad breath) by significantly lowering the bacterial load on your tongue. This may also lead to a decreased level of plaque buildup, which may lead to increased damage to the teeth over time.
– Taylor Mullaney, DMD |
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Have a dental tool you can’t live without? Let us know what it is and why you love it at wellnesswire@healthline.com. (Please note that we may use your name and response in an upcoming edition!)
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| The best treatments out there for whiter teeth |
The first thing to know is that the effectiveness of a teeth whitening procedure will depend on the cause of the discoloration and the unique nature of your teeth. Not all stains can be removed, and intrinsic staining, in particular, can be difficult to treat. That being said, the experts we spoke with said there are treatments out there worth exploring.
Your best bet is with a professional. Because in-office whitening treatments use high concentrations of whitening agents (usually carbamide peroxide), they tend to work the quickest. Having the supervision of a professional will also reduce your risk of sensitivity and irritation.
At-home whitening options can work well, too. While at-home products tend to have lower concentrations of bleaching agents, they’re a budget friendly option that may remove less stubborn stains. Shahrooz Yazdani, DDS, recommends teeth whitening kits, which involve using custom trays that you wear over your teeth for a certain amount of time each day. If you opt for strips instead, he recommends:
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wearing them for half the recommended time if you’re prone to sensitivity |
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buying strips with no more than 10% concentration of peroxide |
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thoroughly reading the instructions and not leaving on the strips for too long |
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Read more about the effectiveness of other teeth whitening products, including mouthwash, toothpaste, gels, and LED light kits.
More on teeth whitening:
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Thanks for reading! In parting, remember that teeth whiteness is a beauty standard like any other. It’s a subjective cultural marker that has absolutely no bearing on the content of your character. Morgan will be back in your inboxes on Friday.
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