Have you ever tried to brighten your smile only to find that it looks uneven? It can be annoying when some teeth look white, and others stay dull or yellow. This happens because not all teeth are made the same, and different types of stains need different treatments.
If you visit a dental clinic in Etobicoke, your results depend on what caused the stain and if you have any dental work. Understanding why this happens is the best way to get a bright, balanced smile that makes you feel great.
Why Do Natural Teeth React Differently?
Even in a healthy mouth, some teeth don’t whiten as fast as others. The thickness of your enamel, the hard white shell, makes a big difference.
Underneath that shell is a layer called dentin, which is naturally a bit yellow. If your enamel is thin, the yellow part shows through more, making it harder for that tooth to look “bright white.”
When you get teeth whitening in Etobicoke, a professional will check your teeth to see how they might respond. Some teeth soak up the whitening gel faster than others. This is why your flat front teeth might look very white, while your “canine” teeth (the pointy ones) stay a bit darker.
Surface Stains vs. Deep Stains
Not all stains are just on the surface. Dentists look at two main types of discoloration to figure out why your smile might look uneven:
- Outside Stains: These are caused by coffee, tea, or soda. They are usually easy to fix with standard whitening.
- Inside Stains: These are deep inside the tooth. They can be caused by medicine you took as a kid or an old injury to the tooth.
Deep stains are one of the leading causes of patchy teeth whitening. Since the dark colour is inside the tooth, the gel on the outside can’t always reach it. This makes some spots look bright while others stay grey or brown.
Will Whitening Work on Fillings or Crowns?
One of the most common reasons for an uneven smile is having dental work. Whitening gels only work on natural teeth. They do not work on man-made materials used to fix teeth.
Does it Whiten?
|
Material |
Will it Whiten? |
Why? |
|
Natural Teeth |
Yes |
The gel cleans out the tiny pores in the enamel. |
|
White Fillings |
No |
They are made of plastic that doesn’t react to bleach. |
|
Crowns / Caps |
No |
The color is “baked in” and cannot be changed. |
|
Veneers |
No |
The ceramic surface is made to stay one color. |
If you have a filling on a front tooth and you whiten the rest, the filling will stay dark while the rest of your teeth get bright. This makes the filling stand out!
How Tooth Health Changes Your Results
A healthy tooth is much easier to whiten than one that has been damaged. If a tooth has a root canal or is injured, it often turns dark grey or purple on the inside.
A regular dentist near you in Etobicoke, Toronto, can tell you if a tooth needs “internal bleaching.” This is where they put the whitener inside the tooth to brighten it from the core.
Also, if you already have white spots on your teeth, whitening might actually make them stand out more at first.
This is because the treatment temporarily dries out the tooth, making the white spots look extra bright before they fade back to normal.
How to Get a Perfectly Even Smile
If your teeth are a mix of natural enamel and dental work, you aren’t stuck with a patchy smile. Experts have ways to make everything match. This usually means whitening your natural teeth first, then replacing old fillings or crowns with new ones that match your bright new shade.
If your stains are too deep for gel to fix, you might look at options like “bonding” or veneers. These cover each tooth with a thin, bright layer, so every tooth in your smile looks the same. This is the best way to get a flawless look that whitening alone sometimes can’t give you.
Get the Even, Bright Smile You Deserve
Knowing why teeth react differently is the key to getting a look you love. You don’t have to settle for a patchy smile when there are ways to fix every tooth. By reviewing the history of each tooth, a professional can create a plan to restore balance to your smile.
At Park Lawn Smiles Dental, we want to help you understand your options so you feel proud of your smile. We use our expertise to make sure your results look natural and beautiful. Reach out to us today to find the best way to brighten your unique smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my bottom teeth less white than my top teeth?
Bottom teeth are smaller and have thinner enamel, so the yellow layer underneath shows through much more easily.
Can I whiten a tooth that has had a root canal?
Yes, but a regular kit won’t work; a dentist has to do a special treatment to whiten it from the inside out.
What should I do if my teeth look splotchy after whitening?
Stop using the whitener and talk to a dentist; they can tell if it’s just a temporary “drying out” or a deeper stain.
Do white spots from old braces go away?
Whitening usually makes them brighter at first, so you might need a different treatment to help them blend in.
