It's never too late to improve your smile. Even if you are in your 70s or 80s, you can still have your teeth whitened. Teeth whitening is a safe and effective way to improve the appearance of your smile, and it can be done at any age.
Dentistry for seniors suggests tooth whitening can be done at any age of adulthood. Tooth whitening products remove built-up stains and brighten the enamel. They are affordable and easy-to-use solutions to the problem of aging yellow teeth.
You probably know that teeth get less white and more yellow as people age, but you may not know exactly why that occurs. The answer lies in the fact that the white enamel that covers your teeth begins to thin after years of wear-and-tear, erosion, and friction.
As you begin to age, your tooth enamel will start to wear away, revealing the dentin within the tooth. This dentin has a yellowish colour. Your teeth will also begin to create more dentin as you age, which also causes teeth to have a darker appearance.
Patients with the following conditions or circumstances may not be the best candidates: Pregnant and lactating women. People who have restorations such as fillings, implants, crowns and dental bridges. Children under 16 years of age.
Research shows that hydrogen peroxide products might damage proteins in your teeth's dentin layer. Dentin is the hard tissue that lies beneath your teeth's surface enamel. Another study shows that whitening products might also roughen or soften your teeth's surface.
What are the risks of teeth whitening? No matter what treatment you use, there's a chance your gums will be sensitive to the chemicals used in teeth whitening, particularly if you already have sensitive teeth. There's also a chance of burns to gums and some of the whitening kits used at home can harm tooth enamel.
If you see celebrities with perfectly white, straight, and uniform-looking teeth, they likely have veneers. Unlike teeth whitening, veneers are more permanent. There are various types of materials used, but porcelain and composite are the most common types.
As we get older, the porous outer layer of enamel on our teeth begins to thin. This allows the naturally yellow material beneath it, called dentin, to show through more prominently. The thinner your enamel, the more dentin shows through, giving your teeth a yellow tint.
If your child is old enough to start getting their permanent teeth (usually age 6-7), you may notice that these teeth look a bit more yellow compared to their baby teeth. Don't worry. This is normal.
The good news is that even naturally yellow teeth can be whitened, and kept white, if you understand the causes behind tooth discoloration.
Some of the best toothpastes for older adults include the Sensodyne Pronamel Daily Protection Enamel Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth and Sensodyne Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste. Other products worth mentioning are 3M Oral Care Clinpro Tooth Crème Anti Cavity Toothpaste and Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste.
Teeth that have yellowed with age
As we age, the enamel becomes thinner due to wear and tear, revealing the underlying layer of tooth structure called dentin. Dentin is naturally yellowish and cannot be lightened with teeth whitening products.
Most commonly, tooth darkening occurs as a natural effect of aging. As we get older, the outer hard tissue covering our teeth, called enamel, wears away and exposes the darker dentin beneath it. This can cause our teeth to appear more gray or yellow rather than white.
Tooth decay: One of the leading causes of teeth turning black is tooth decay, which can result from the build-up of plaque and tartar. Poor oral hygiene can result in tooth decay, although this is reversible in the early stages. However, when teeth turn black further treatment is necessary.
“Some people have very white enamel―the thin coating on the surface of teeth―while other people's enamel has a more yellow hue,” says Richard Price, a dentist in Newton, Massachusetts, and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Environmental factors play a role, too.
But the Kardashians' go-to teeth whitening device? The Hi Smile Teeth Whitening Kit.
The white of your teeth actually comes from the outer layer, the enamel. Healthy enamel is like strong bone and protects the inner layers of your teeth. Protecting your enamel is a good way to maintain white teeth. Some people still have naturally whiter teeth than others.
Consuming Certain Foods and Drinks
Other teeth-staining foods include coffee, citrus fruits and juices, soft drinks, teas, berries, tomato-based sauces, curry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Ingredients in these foods can seep into your enamel (the outermost covering of your teeth) and cause discoloration.
Professional Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening is often the best way to whiten brown teeth. Your dentist can determine the underlying cause of your brown teeth, and help you develop a treatment plan to whiten your teeth.
Professional teeth whiteners are safe, effective, and done under the supervision of a dental professional. In most cases, it is worth the extra cost to visit the dentist to get long-lasting, safe results.
As long as you stick to dentist-approved methods, whitening your teeth is considered safe. Make sure to use the method that fits your needs and always follow the directions for the product. Contact your dentist if you experience any side effects.