Why do teeth become discolored as people age?

Question

Ive noticed that on a lot of my older relatives between teeth become very dark and its not cavities. I dont think its staining either as some of them go to the dentist regularly. Is it just natural for them to become discolored over time??

Answer 1

Teeth are porous, so they stain from things you put in your mouth. Cigarettes, coffee, tea, cola. You can have the stains bleached out but I think most people don't care when they get older.

Answer 2

Brush more.

Answer 3

Not necessarily brushing more helps.

Well first of all, everyone's teeth vary in colors. Just like different skin colors. But the natural color of your teeth does not have anything to do with your teeth's health.

Second, some of the different food we eat may stain your teeth. Smoking, drinking soda, or taking in too much fluoride may be some of the causes.

Third, yes it is natural for teeth to become more discolored over time. There is actually no reason why. Not that I know of. You can research on this more.

Hope this helps =).

Answer 4

Of course. Coffee and sodas also yellow teeth even more. I go every 6 months for a cleaning and mine definitely aren't as white as they use to be.

Answer 5

As we age, stains such as coffee, tea, pop, etc often accumulate on teeth unless whiters are used. Also, most people brush too hard or use a medium or hard bristled tooth brush which is too abrasive for teeth. This often results in wearing off of enamel which exposes underlying layer called dentin which is naturally yellow. Enamel also thins as we age showing more of the yellow dentin.