Same teeth are different colors?

Question

okay so think of this... one tooth, on the top. the very top of my tooth is white (near the gums) and at the bottom of the tooth it is a greyish color (probably about 2mm. why is this? i brush my teeth 2 times a day and floss daily! how can i make this go away?

thanks!

Answer 1

It sounds like what you are talking about is perfectly normal.  Teeth have three layers.  There is enamel on the outside, which is translucent.  Dentin is under the enamel, which can be a grayish/yellowish colour, and pulp is the red soupy stuff in the centre.  Dentin is opaque, meaning that light doesn't pass through it.

The dentin doesn't go all the way to the "incisal edge" (part you bite with), so there are a few millimeters that are only enamel.  (See the picture at the bottom of the page at http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC063002/Questins%... ).  Therefore, the part of your tooth where there is dentin under the enamel will be a different colour than the region where we only see enamel.  This is noticeable mostly in front teeth where the enamel is a lot thinner and more light shines through.

You can't really get rid of this.  The best thing you can do is to keep brushing and flossing to prevent decay, but make sure that you aren't brushing overzealously to minimize the wear on the enamel.  Fluoride treatments are also important in keeping the enamel strong.