Many adult patients find that their teeth start to look darker and stained over time. While it certainly isn’t pleasant to find that your teeth are starting to look dull, the good news is that this isn’t an untreatable problem. There are steps that you can take to rejuvenate your smile—and our O’Fallon cosmetic dentists can help!
Q: My teeth used to look so much whiter! What has happened?
A: For the most part, kids start out with white dental enamel. This is because young dental enamel is thick and strong, and the teeth have not been exposed to many discoloring substances. As teeth age, however, two things happen. First, dental enamel becomes thinner due to the wear and tear of daily life. This allows more of the yellow dentin shows through the enamel, and the weak parts of the enamel also accumulate stains. At the same time, your teeth become exposed to more and more discoloring substances like coffee, tea, cola, and red wine.
Q: Why do only a few of my teeth look dark?
A: This may happen because one or two of your teeth have compromised dental enamel due to cracks, chips, or enamel erosion. This can also happen due to dental injury—if your tooth sustains serious injury the tooth root and nerve may become damaged and make the enamel appear dark. When teeth are damaged like this, they can often be improved with cosmetic treatments like dental veneers.
If you want to learn more about how dental whitening treatments work, and how dental discoloration develops, our O’Fallon cosmetic dentist is here to guide you through this process. You can easily reach our dental team by calling our office, or submitting your questions and contact information through our website. We look forward to helping you achieve your best smile!