What does tooth colour depend on?

What does tooth colour depend on?

On 30 September 202025 June 2024In Tooth whitening

The colour of your teeth depends largely on your oral hygiene. However, even with regular brushing, the use of whitening toothpastes or trays, you may not be able to achieve perfect whiteness. Why? The problem may lie in your natural bone shade and genes. The latter are also responsible for the shape of the teeth.

Tooth colour beyond your control

The colour of your teeth depends on your dentin and the enamel it is covered with. A darker or yellowish colour is not always a sign of poor oral hygiene or disease - it may be the natural shade of your teeth. Unfortunately, if this is the case, it is out of your control and it can be very difficult to achieve a snow-white smile.

Genes are mainly to blame, but not only. The colour of your teeth also changes with age. The older you are, the thinner the enamel and the more visible the dentin. Its natural shades can range from yellow to dark brown. Unfortunately, this colour starts to become more visible as the years go by.

Interestingly, tooth colour also depends on race. Poles belong to the Caucasian race, thus our natural tooth colour is not snow-white, but varies from very light yellow, through its shades, to a delicate grey.

The photograph shows a man with a beard, wearing glasses and a white T-shirt. The man's mouth is wide open in an expression of surprise or screaming. He is touching his hair with one hand and holding a toothbrush with the other, suggesting that the photo is related to the topic of oral hygiene or visiting the dentist.

Take care of the white

To enjoy a beautiful and white smile for as long as possible, pay attention to what you eat and drink. Avoid products that stain your teeth. These are especially coffee, tea, coloured fizzy drinks, wine, berries.

Read more about this in our article "Tooth discolouration and factors affecting it".

And if you smoke cigarettes, it is essential that you give them up, otherwise you have to reckon, not only with serious health problems, but also with yellow teeth and unpleasant mouth odour. Nicotine deposits quickly appear on the teeth and are difficult to remove.

The colour of teeth is strongly influenced by good oral hygiene. Remember that it is not enough to brush your teeth every day, you must also floss and visit your dentist's office regularly. You should make an appointment at least twice a year for hygienization, i.e. removal of tartar and plaque from your teeth.

The photo shows a woman with long dark hair and natural make-up. She smiles, showing off her healthy white teeth. In her hand, she holds a colour sampler of dental restorations. The photo was probably taken in a dentist's office, as indicated by the red background.

How do you check the colour of your teeth?

There is no standardised assessment and definition of dentition colour. However, the most commonly used scale is divided into four groups:

  • A (reddish-brown)
  • B (reddish yellow)
  • C (grey)
  • D (red-grey)

Each has a shade palette from which you can determine your tooth colour.

The image shows a broad smile of a person with perfectly white, even teeth. The dental mirror is placed close to the mouth, indicating a context related to dentistry or oral hygiene.

Snow-white teeth - is it possible?

Tooth colour, like hair colour, is a very individual matter. Therefore, you may not be able to achieve a perfectly white shade, even if you use whitening toothpastes or home whitening methods.

Before you go for it read our article "Home remedies for teeth whitening - pros and cons". Some of the ways may not only fail to whiten teeth, but also cause staining and damage to the enamel.

If you dream of a beautiful white smile preferably make an appointment in our practice. Together we will find the best solution for you.

You may find that overlay teeth whitening (more about it here) or in-office whitening will not be satisfactory for you. In such a situation you are left with veneers. You can find out what they are, how they are applied and how much they cost in the following article 'Dental veneers in the UK. Everything you need to know„.

The image shows a close-up of a person's open mouth during a dental procedure. The dentist's fingers can be seen holding a transparent mould and trying to fit it to the patient's teeth, suggesting the process of fitting braces or a dental splint.

White teeth for less than £50 a month

If you decide to have your teeth whitened in our office, you can choose from several options available: from the overlay whitening kit at home, through LED lamp whitening in the office, to the Enlighten whitening kit, i.e. overlays and whitening in the office (this system guarantees whitening up to Vita B1 colour).

For the last option, you can opt for payment in instalments. Importantly, the first 12 months are zero interest. This means you will pay £46 per month for individual overlays and in-office whitening.

Our installment system is 100% secure and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 619628). If you would like to find out more we recommend our article "Teeth on credit: dental treatment on hire purchase", and if you have any further questions Call us.