Straight Teeth in Less Time
Are Your Teeth Really White? How to Tell for Sure
Lois Murray
You brush and floss. Your teeth look white in every photo. Yet are they really white? Should you be concerned if your teeth are not as white as you expect them to be? Can your dentist use teeth whitening to get them looking more white than they do right now? Illuminating answers to these questions follow.
Why Teeth Appear White in Photos
White is the brightest color detected by cameras. Everything else around your teeth is "read" as darker. Along with the fact that your tooth enamel reflects light, a camera (any camera, including those on your smartphones) often "reads" your teeth as the lightest colored thing in a picture. This can cause photos to make your teeth appear whiter than they look in the mirror.
How to Check the Whiteness of Your Teeth
It is only when you wear white clothing close to your face that your teeth suddenly become darker in color. To check your actual tooth color, wear a bright white shirt and take a snapshot. If your teeth appear off-white or yellow contrasted against the white shirt in your picture, then your teeth are not as white as you thought. You can also hold a tissue, white envelope, or a white sheet of printer paper up to your lips as you smile. Then it is easy to see the color of your teeth.
When You Should Be Concerned about Tooth Color
Usually you don't need to be concerned with minor tooth discoloration. Unless there are other oral health symptoms accompanying the discoloration of your teeth, or your teeth are very dark yellow in color (or gray, brown, or black), your tooth coloration is likely normal. Regardless of how much your brush, your teeth will become more yellow in hue as you age. This is due both to the wearing away of the enamel and to food stains embedding themselves in the dentin of your teeth.
Teeth Whitening
Your dentist can get your teeth whiter, but be aware that your teeth will only get up to three shades whiter. Your teeth will never be the shade of white they were when you first got teeth as an infant. If you want glaringly white teeth, the kind that look like headlights in the dark, you either have to have really white teeth to begin with, or you will have to opt for a different cosmetic procedure (e.g., veneers). That said, teeth whitening can still make your teeth look brighter, cleaner, and younger.
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I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.