Why Do My Teeth Look Yellower By My Gums? I’ve Been Bleaching!
There is one simple answer to this question, but the answer might not be EXACTLY what you want to hear.
Most people who ask this question are hoping that they can bleach those areas and get them whiter, to match the rest of their teeth...
Well, here comes the sad but truthful answer. It’s just not possible.
The white enamel of your teeth is at its thickest point where the chewing surfaces are and then gets thinner and thinner as it gets closer to the root of your tooth, near the gum line.
So, the yellow tint you are seeing is the dentin structure of your tooth, showing through the enamel where the enamel layer has become thin.
If you have any gum recession, you will see the root structure ONLY, and it will be more yellow in color. There is no white enamel covering that area at all.
Both the inner layer of dentin and the cementum root materials are yellower compared to the enamel, and they do NOT bleach.
Only enamel can be bleached and whitened to our liking.
So, sadly, it just is what it is. The good news is, though, that your lip usually covers that area when you are smiling or talking. Only YOU can see it when you’re closely inspecting your teeth in the mirror at home.
Hopefully, you can find peace in knowing that everyone has the same problem that you are having. We’re all in the same boat together, yellow roots and all.
If you feel that your teeth are still worse and more yellow than others’ teeth seem to be, it’s possible that you have more gum recession happening.
Please feel free to read the SODA we’ve spilled for you about gum recession! There will definitely be some helpful info for you there!
So your next question may be:
“Can I just get a white filling to fill in that yellow area?”
Yes, you could, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend this purely for cosmetic purposes.
Your honest dentist can help you decide if that treatment would be right for you, or possibly even a crown or veneer, but please keep this in mind:
“The best filling is NO filling.” “The best dental restoration is NO dental restoration.”
Once you get a filling or a crown, your tooth will never be the same. Your tooth gets drilled and ground down to fit the crown, veneer, or filling.
Veneers aren’t as involved as crowns. You can picture them as something like a fake fingernail. What does that natural nail look like underneath when the fake nail is removed? Your tooth structure will not grow back as your fingernail does though.
It’s best to keep your teeth in their most natural state, as best you can.
It’s also important to point out that these filling materials, crowns, and veneers don’t bleach either, so once you get one, the color is a done deal.
Down the road, it could be possible that you whiten your teeth MORE than the color of that filling, and you’d be back to square one.
Again, consult with your honest dentist. They will walk you through the ins and outs of this, according to your specific situation.
We hope this SODA helped answer your question, even if you might be a little sad. Remember, we’re all in this together. You’re not alone.
If you’re considering whitening your teeth, take a look at our Product Advice page. We have a whole section dedicated to our favorite whitening products.
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. NO ONE knows it all! We do claim honesty, though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
So, thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
