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Why Do Teeth Lose Their Whiteness with Age?

It’s frustrating when your teeth start to look dull or yellow, especially when you take good care of them. Unfortunately, this is a common problem as people grow older. But that doesn’t mean you have to learn to live with them.

Dr. Daniel Park wants you to look and feel your best at every age. And brightening discolored teeth is an easy place to start.

Are your teeth losing their whiteness with each passing year? Here’s how Dr. Park can help at Beaumont Cherry Valley Dental in Beaumont, California.

Teeth and aging

When we think of aging, we often focus on graying hair and fine lines or wrinkles. However, you can often see the passage of time in your smile as well. One of the main reasons teeth become darker or discolored with age involves thinning enamel. 

This protective covering on the tooth's surface can take a lot of abuse. However, years of exposure to wear and tear, friction, and acid causes this hard substance to break down.

As enamel wears away, the middle layer of your tooth becomes more visible. This tissue, known as dentin, gives your tooth its color. In most cases, it’s pale yellow. But it can also range anywhere from gray to black.

This leads us to the second reason teeth lose their whiteness over time. Thinning enamel makes dentin more visible. However, dentin also increases with age, making teeth look darker than in your youth. 

Fortunately, you can turn back the hands of time with your smile so your teeth can look just as vibrant as you feel.

How to restore an aging smile

Dr. Park offers several options to put that bright sparkle back where it belongs. One of the easiest methods involves professional whitening.

Professional whitening uses stronger bleaching formulas than over-the-counter products. Dr. Park also creates custom-made whitening trays to ensure the proper fit for the special whitening solution.

Then, you can brighten your teeth in the comfort of your own home, either for 30 minutes twice a day or overnight while you sleep. This approach can restore whiteness in 1-2 weeks.

Dr. Park also has solutions if tooth discoloration doesn’t respond to professional whitening. In these cases, he uses cosmetic dentistry methods to conceal the discoloration, like:

Once Dr. Park restores your smile, he can offer personalized recommendations on maintaining your results. You may not be able to control everything that comes with aging. But you can keep your smile looking its best well into your golden years.

Has your smile lost its whiteness? Contact Beaumont Cherry Valley Dental by calling 951-845-2661 to book a visit with Daniel Park, DDS, today.

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