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<\/p>\nYou don’t have to look far to find seemingly perfect white smiles \u2014 especially if you spend time on social media.<\/p>\n
It may have you second-guessing the appearance of your own teeth in the bathroom mirror.<\/p>\n
But there are many variations of what is considered “natural” white.<\/p>\n
And how our teeth appear in the mirror, or even in photos, may not be an accurate picture of their true colour, according to experts.<\/p>\n
So how white should our teeth actually be and why do the front teeth usually look whiter?<\/p>\n
How white should our teeth be?<\/p>\n
Monica Farrelly, oral health promoter from the Australian Dental Association, Sydney\/Gadigal land, says there is “no definitive measure” of how white our teeth should be.<\/p>\n
“When we’re looking at doing whitening, fillings, crowns and veneers, we look at a range of shades,” Dr Farrelly says.<\/p>\n
She says the standard shade guide that most dentists use has about 16 “normal shades” of white.<\/p>\n
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“So just like our hair, eye colour, skin colour, there’s natural variance in terms of how white people’s teeth are,” she says.<\/p>\n
Dr Farrelly says it can be difficult for people to understand what a natural smile is because people’s teeth colour can be altered.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s important to recognise that people do whitening at home and at dental practices,” she says.<\/p>\n
“They might also have crowns or veneers, which cover the surfaces of the teeth and are made out of porcelain.<\/p>\n
“And a lot of people digitally enhance their photos nowadays as well, so it’s not actually our real tooth colour.”<\/p>\n
Teeth change colour inside and out<\/p>\n
Tooth colour also varies with age, says Laurence Walsh, an emeritus professor from the University of Queensland’s School of Dentistry.<\/p>\n
He says baby teeth look “unusually white” because of their mineral structure.<\/p>\n
“Then adult teeth begin to erupt from about the age of six onwards and those teeth have a colour which is richer in yellow and red,” he says.<\/p>\n
That internal colour of the tooth becomes more obvious because of “tiny little pipes called tubules which fill up with mineral as we age”.<\/p>\n
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Laurence Walsh says a person’s complexion can affect how their teeth appear. (Supplied: University of Queensland)<\/p>\n
“And that changes the way that light behaves as it comes through a tooth,” he says.<\/p>\n
“So, for example, in our 50s, 60s and 70s, the teeth look fundamentally a type of yellow colour.”<\/p>\n
Professor Walsh says it is a “normal age-related change”, which can be sped up by any trauma or damage to a tooth.<\/p>\n
“People who clench their teeth, people who grind their teeth, those people create small amounts of trauma, that speeds up this natural process,” he says.<\/p>\n
Dr Farrelly says foods and drinks can also cause the surface of teeth to discolour, and this is likely what people “notice more”.<\/p>\n
“We say anything that can stain a white shirt can stain a tooth,” she says.<\/p>\n
“So, coffee, tea, alcohol, darkly coloured or pigmented food, smoking, that will all contribute to staining teeth.”<\/p>\n
Are white teeth a sign of a healthy mouth?<\/p>\n
While white teeth may be aesthetically pleasing, our experts say they are not a guaranteed sign of oral health.<\/p>\n
“Teeth are 3D in nature, so when we’re looking at just the colour, we’re probably looking more at the front surface of the teeth,” Dr Farrelly says.<\/p>\n
“Colour alone doesn’t show us if there’s any cavities or decay, if there’s any issues with the gums, if there’s any infection below what we can see on the surface.”<\/p>\n
Why do my front teeth look whiter?<\/p>\n
Professor Walsh says this is likely due to the “perceived colour” of a tooth, not the true colour.<\/p>\n
“Perceived colour is affected by the frame [around the tooth],” he says.<\/p>\n
“Someone who’s got lipstick on versus no lipstick, the tooth appears to be lighter and brighter, because now we’ve put a frame beside it that is darker.”<\/p>\n
He says another “sneaky thing” that sometimes confuses people’s perceptions is mirrors and lighting.<\/p>\n
“The silver reflective layer in a mirror absorbs some violet and blue light, meaning things that are reflected off the mirror are always more yellow than they really are,” he says.<\/p>\n
“Then you’ve got your house lighting, which is already rich in yellow.<\/p>\n
“Then you’re looking at this reflection in the mirror thinking, ‘Gee, my teeth look a bit yellow.'”<\/p>\n
He says in reality if you went out into sunlight, “your teeth aren’t as yellow as you think \u2014 you’ve been influenced by the colour environment”.<\/p>\n
What to do if you are worried about tooth colour<\/p>\n
If you are worried about the colour of your teeth and you are considering at-home whitening, our experts recommend you consult with a dentist first.<\/p>\n