Why can’t we just spend however long it takes to brush our teeth over and over again until they’re as clean and white as they were when we first got them? (Like dentist office billboard advertisement levels of white teeth)

Question

Or is restoring a former brilliance of your teeth impossible through normal dental hygiene practices without cosmetic dentistry?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The answer is dentin. It is the layer of material underneath your enamel (which is mostly clear). The color of the dentin is the color of your teeth.

Surface cleaning only cleans the enamel and not the dentin. It is the dentin that turns yellow, because of things that can permeate the pores of the enamel (smoke, hot liquids, things held to the teeth for a long time like chew or betelnut).

Whitening the dentin similarly requires something that can permeate the enamel, like whitening gel with hydrogen peroxide, that is held in place for a long period of time.

Source: I worked on the launch of Crest Whitestrips. (Which is why I also know that whitening toothpastes are an ineffective gimmick.)