Dental Implants & Dentures The Quick Way to that Film Star Smile | Page 5

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THAT BRILLIANT SMILE
Teeth colour is inherently genetic just like our skin and the colour of our hair. The colour is determined by
the thickness of the enamel covering the core of the tooth called the dentine. The dentine is a yellowish
colour and the surface enamel is most parts translucent. This means that those people that genetically have
thinner layers of enamel covering the teeth will naturally experience the colour of the underlying dentine
showing through, which produces a yellow/grey appearance. This does not mean that the teeth are less
healthy or strong just less attractive.
However, for most people the shade and tones are down to lifestyle and diet. For instance our teeth are
likely to darken due to consumption of tea, coffee, red wine or smoking. Other common causes for
discoloration are foods such as curries, sweet drinks some citrus fruits and of course damaged or infected
teeth will discolour from the inside out. As a rule of thumb most dentists suggest that any food or drink that
can stain clothing has the potential to stain the enamel of the teeth. However you may just be getting older
as everyday wear and tear will gradually takes its toll on the thickness off the surface enamel letting the
underlying dentine show more prominently. Also children under eight years old taking some antibiotics can
develop stains such as brown stripes on the teeth which can suddenly appear and no amount of brushing can
remove them. However, this is not just confined to children as even adults taking medication can sometimes
experience similar discolouration of the teeth.