Enamel thins, dentine shows through, and suddenly your smile looks a shade older. Dr. Hannah explains what’s actually going on.
Dr. Hannah Weiss
Every week someone sits in our chair, points at a front tooth and asks what they did wrong. Usually the answer is: nothing. Teeth change colour for reasons that have very little to do with your morning flat white.
Enamel, explained
Enamel is the hardest substance in your body and it’s slightly see-through. Underneath sits dentine, which is naturally yellow. As enamel thins with age, brushing and acidic food, more of that yellow shows through.
You can’t brush your way back to white. But you can stop it getting worse.
What actually helps
Brush gently with a soft head. Scrubbing wears enamel faster.
Wait 30 minutes after anything acidic before brushing.
Use a fluoride toothpaste and spit, don’t rinse.
Book a hygiene visit every six months for surface stains.
If whitening is on your mind, get a hygiene clean first. Lifting surface stains often gets you two shades for free.
The honest bit
Yellowing is mostly biology, not bad behaviour. Look after the enamel you have and, if you’d like a few shades back, whitening is a calm hour away.
Written by
Dr. Hannah Weiss
“I opened Peppermint for people who’d rather be anywhere else than a dentist’s chair.”
