Why do teeth darken?

[James 01]

Hi

I used to have very white teeth when I was a teenager but as I got older and now I am in my forties, my teeth have become much darker than before.

I have tried whitening toothpaste but it has had very little effect and now I have decided that I would like to whiten my teeth to a better whiter shade.

But I have read that even after teeth whitening, teeth can darken and lose their white colour after a few months. I would like to know why do teeth darken and what can be done to reduce tooth darkening.

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thank you for your post.

Teeth darken as we age and also darken by certain foods and drinks in diets such as tea/cofee/red wine/curries/... . Also smoking and poor cleaning and oral hygiene lead to teeth becoming darker.

If you wish to keep your teeth as light as possible, you need to practice good oral hygiene daily and see a dentist/hygienist for regular cleaning and have teeth whitening under the supervision of a dentist. To maintain the teeth whitening results, you will need regular teeth whitening top-ups.