Are whiter teeth better? It turns out that healthy teeth are this color

Yu Ziyue, an intern reporter at Science Times

Many people want to have white teeth, but are whiter teeth really better?

"Usually, the color of healthy teeth of Chinese people is not too white," said Zhou Yanheng, chief physician of the Department of Stomatology at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Memorial Hospital affiliated to Tsinghua University. Teeth can be divided into three layers from the outside to the inside - enamel, dentin and pulp. The inner dentin is opaque light yellow, and the outer enamel has a certain degree of permeability. The healthier the teeth, the higher the degree of calcification, the more transparent the enamel, and the easier it is for the color of the dentin to show through, making the teeth look light yellow. If the teeth are not well developed, calcified, and the enamel is opaque, the teeth will appear abnormally white or "flowery".

Different races have slightly different tooth colors. Zhou Yanheng introduced that studies have shown that yellow-skinned people have relatively thin enamel, which makes it easier for the yellowish color of dentin to show. White and black people, on the other hand, have relatively thick enamel, so their teeth are slightly whiter than ours. This is essentially a genetic difference.

Daily dental care is also very important. Zhou Yanheng suggested that everyone should pay attention to rinsing their mouths after meals, brushing their teeth on time, using dental floss more often to remove food residues between teeth, and having teeth cleaning and oral examinations every six months.

For patients with tetracycline teeth, fluorosis and other people who are not satisfied with the color of their teeth, they can further brighten their teeth through professional teeth whitening methods, such as chemical whitening, porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, etc. It should be noted that we should make scientific choices based on our own conditions, take health as the main principle, and take natural bright white as the best. Do not over-whiten and damage your teeth.