The color of teeth changes several times throughout life. This depends mainly on appropriate dental care, diet and the condition of the teeth.

dental care

A correct brushing technique helps to maintain tooth color. Use a medium-hard toothbrush and brush twice a day for three minutes each time.

Nutrition

A balanced diet is crucial to keeping teeth healthy and white. Make sure your diet contains plenty of fruit, crunchy vegetables, legumes and nuts. A rule of thumb is: the firmer the food, the better it is for your teeth.

Condition of the teeth

Some people are more prone to tooth discoloration than others. This depends on the structure of the enamel, the outer layer of the teeth. The roughness of the tooth surface also influences how quickly discoloration occurs.

The thickness of the dentin, the layer beneath the enamel, also influences whether the teeth appear yellowish or not. Canines have a thicker layer of dentin and therefore naturally appear a little darker than, for example, incisors, which have a thinner layer of dentin.

What to do if your teeth turn yellow again after visiting the dentist?

Please note: Teeth may be more sensitive in the first few weeks after teeth whitening. Removing color particles from the enamel makes the surface of the teeth more porous. Therefore, vigorous brushing with whitening toothpastes or repeating a whitening treatment is strongly discouraged! If you are considering whitening your teeth again, be sure to talk to your dentist first.

Avoid consuming foods that can cause discoloration. Coffee, tea, red wine, etc. contain a lot of color particles that can settle on the teeth. Smoking also causes severe tooth discoloration, so you should avoid these foods after whitening. It might also be helpful to use a straw to consume drinks.

Use oral hygiene products that preserve the color of your teeth. Electric or sonic toothbrushes are ideal for thorough yet gentle tooth cleaning. The vibrations of the brush head remove discoloration from the tooth surface. Since no excessive pressure needs to be applied when using sonic toothbrushes, this technique is particularly gentle on the tooth surface. In situations where you cannot brush your teeth, dental care chewing gum can be useful. It stimulates the flow of saliva and thus rinses the oral cavity. The microparticles they contain remove discoloration from the tooth surface. However, make sure to use sugar-free chewing gum!

Tooth polishing: If teeth discolor more quickly than usual after bleaching, this could be because the surface is not sufficiently polished and sealed. Tooth polishing and subsequent fluoridation at the dentist removes discoloration and smoothes the surface of the teeth. The smoother the tooth surface, the less color particles adhere.

Re-bleaching: It is possible to whiten the teeth again after whitening. However, with re-bleaching the teeth are whitened for a shorter time and less intensively. It is important that the teeth are not sensitive to cold. The right time for re-bleaching is determined individually by the dentist. As a rule, it is recommended to wait a few weeks to months.