Why Your Teeth Yellow With Age And How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Help
Posted on: 6 October 2016
You could have the most perfect oral care routine and avoid all of the foods and beverages that discolor teeth—and your teeth would still yellow with age. There are some valid causes for this. If you find the discolorations especially disconcerting, cosmetic dentistry can help. Here is why your teeth would yellow anyway, and how cosmetic dentistry can help.
The Enamel Weakens
The biggest reason why teeth yellow with age is because the enamel, the covering your teeth naturally make to protect the inner core of each tooth, becomes weaker. As it weakens, there are more microscopic holes in your teeth. These microscopic holes allow more natural and artificial food colors to sink deep into the surface of your teeth. Even with good brushing, the stains that go deeper into the teeth cannot be brushed away. The enamel cannot be strengthened either, which means you are somewhat stuck with the off-white to yellowish hue of your teeth.
How Cosmetic Dentistry Corrects This Age-Related Problem
The first step is to remove the deep-seated stains in your teeth. The cosmetic dentist uses cosmetic bleaching agents to whiten your teeth. These agents are safe enough to whiten your teeth without causing much damage to your teeth. After your teeth are whitened and look brighter and younger, then the dentist may prescribe a sealant to help the effects of your whitening procedure last longer.
The next step is to apply a sealant to your teeth so that all of those microscopic holes are blocked. When all of the microscopic holes are blocked and sealed off, food and drink can no longer discolor the teeth. The sealant will help prevent discoloration of your teeth for some months to a year or more, depending on how rigorously and frequently you brush your teeth. You may want to reapply the sealant at your next dental hygiene appointment, since this type of appointment is supposed to occur twice a year, and the sealant after six months may need a booster application.
If You Have Missing or Damaged Teeth
In the event that you have missing or damaged teeth, the damaged teeth need to be fixed and missing teeth should be replaced. The damaged teeth will not withstand some of the dental bleaching agents and should be fixed anyway. The missing teeth should be replaced just after you have had your teeth professionally whitened so that the dental implants or the partial denture are the exact same shade of white as the rest of your natural teeth.
For more information, contact a professional in your area or visit a website like http://valleyoakdentalgroup.com/.
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