When only one or a few teeth turn gray or blue, it might be because the teeth have died. Though you might think of all teeth as lifeless, at their center are living pulp and nerves. If trauma or infection has caused damage, the pulp and nerves can die, and the tooth turns dark pink, gray, or black.
Dental Restorations
Dental amalgam (silver-colored fillings) and glass ionomer, acrylic, porcelain, and metal crowns can look blue-gray at the tooth's surface. It's the result of the metallic color showing through translucent enamel or a porcelain surface.
Whitening Grey or Blue Teeth
Whitening treatments can also improve the color of a tooth that has died. However, tetracycline-affected teeth often bleach unevenly. For these teeth and deep grey or blue teeth, crowns or veneers may give a better result.
Old Dental Restorations
If you have an amalgam filling, metal crown, or another restoration, this could cause your teeth to appear blueish or gray. This is more common with older dental restorations, but they can usually be replaced by a dentist to have a more natural, white appearance.
The outer layer of your teeth (the enamel) is a blue-white color, while the middle layer (the dentin) is a light-yellow tinge. So, if you have a dense layer of dentin and sufficient enamel, then your teeth should be a healthy, off-white, slightly yellowed shade!
Everyone's teeth are not the same. Variables in enamel thickness, as well as enamel shade, give off different colors other than white, which are perfectly natural. Myth #2: Yellow teeth are unhealthy. Teeth that are not perfectly white can still be healthy.
Enamel is on the surface of every tooth and it has a natural hue of white. However, the underlying dentin layer has a slightly yellowish color. This yellowish hue shows through the enamel in almost everyone, but more so for those with naturally thinner or more translucent enamel.
Blue Or Grey Teeth Can Be Natural
It depends on the color of the dentin and the color of the enamel. Dentin is naturally yellow while enamel is slightly blue and translucent. Teeth can naturally change color as we age, due to enamel becoming thinner, showing more of the dentin's color.
Adult-onset tooth discoloration following long-term ingestion of tetracycline and minocycline has also been reported. The remarkable side-effect of minocycline on the oral cavity is the singular occurrence of "black bones", "black or green roots" and blue-gray to gray hue darkening of the crowns of permanent teeth.
Calcium Deficiency
Calcium is one of the essential vitamins for your dental health. It helps teeth and bones remain strong and healthy, and it prevents jaw bone deterioration teeth from becoming brittle or yellowing with age. A calcium deficiency can lead to teeth discoloration as well as tooth loss.
Some health conditions cause teeth discoloration, including liver disease, celiac disease, calcium deficiency, eating disorders and metabolic diseases. Certain medications. Some medications, like certain antihistamines and drugs for high blood pressure, can result in teeth discoloration.
A dying tooth may appear yellow, light brown, gray, or even black. It may look almost as if the tooth is bruised. The discoloration will increase over time as the tooth continues to decay and the nerve dies. If you experience any symptoms of a dying tooth, it's important to see your dentist right away.
Get a Professional Whitening Done
Your dentist will prescribe a specific treatment strength and length for you, based on the types of teeth stains you have and your sensitivity levels. Those are two things you won't get from at-home whitening kits, which are made to be much stronger than they need to be.
Make your teeth look whiter – Darker shades like royal/navy blue, purple, and even black can make the color of your teeth appear whiter.
Some teeth may appear to be whiter than others because each tooth responds differently to bleaching. The composition and structure of teeth affect how they react to bleaching.
If teeth are overexposed to the hydrogen peroxide agent in whitening gel, the outer layers of enamel may begin to wear away, exposing the dentin and soft inner tissues. This results in lasting sensitivity and discoloration, as dentin is a naturally darker color than enamel.
Tooth discoloration associated with celiac disease is permanent. Most stains and spots caused by fluorosis or tooth decay are likewise irreversible. For permanent or stubborn brown spots on the teeth a dentist may be able to hide discolorations, or prevent further discoloration, with: white composite fillings.
Foods and drinks such as red wine, coffee, tea, and spaghetti sauce can all contribute to tooth staining. Cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco all contain ingredients that will stick to the tiny pores in teeth and create a dark or brownish appearance.
Yup! A dentist will know if your teen vapes because nicotine smoked in any form negatively impacts oral health, specifically teeth and gums. Although e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they still contain highly concentrated amounts of nicotine, which can damage the mouth.
Non-White or Yellow Teeth are Unhealthy
Teeth whitening treatments usually work by stripping or entering the outer enamel layer, which makes teeth weaker if done many times. So, more often than not, yellow teeth are actually stronger than pearly white ones–so long as they're cleaned regularly.
Brown and grey spots show up on the tooth material around a crown where pearly whites should be. These spots indicate tooth decay, which can be the culprit of nerve damage. Decay under crowns starts with a buildup of a sticky yellow plaque film.
Plaque and tartar will accumulate, causing tooth decay, gum disease and more oral health issues. Discolored teeth often contain cavities. Cavities are tiny holes in teeth that damage their structure. Discolored teeth can also cause gingivitis, which involves bleeding and inflammation of the gums.
One of the biggest causes is aging. As you get older, the hard enamel that covers your teeth can begin to thin, revealing the yellowish-brown color of the dentin beneath it. And no amount of tooth brushing can remove the dull color, because it's the result of material under the enamel showing through.
The ideal shade for your teeth is one that is similar to the whites of your eyes. Use that shade as a measure; Once you've reached it, you can stop, and focus on maintenance. We guarantee your teeth will be plenty white enough at that point.
Dentin darkens with age, but yellow teeth typically means that your enamel has been stained by what you eat and drink. Coffee, tea and red wine have powerful pigments that attach to your enamel and alter the color of your teeth. Plaque buildup can also accumulate, leaving teeth dirty and yellow.