Your teeth should be a similar shade of white to the whites of your eyes. If your teeth are close in colour then you probably don't want to make them any whiter, as it could start to look artificial. On the other hand, if you find that your teeth are significantly darker, whitening may be a good choice for you.
Teeth Aren't White to Begin With
To start with, the idea that teeth in their own right are perfectly white is a myth. Even if teeth were to never come in contact with a discoloring agent, they still would appear slightly off-white in their natural state. The visible portion of teeth is comprised of dentin and enamel.
A good rule of thumb when determining how white your teeth should be is to look at the whites of your eyes. Whether whitening at home or undergoing treatment by a professional dentist, you should be aiming for a shade of white similar to that of your eyes.
Natural Enamel Thickness & Translucency
Enamel is on the surface of every tooth and it has a natural hue of white. However, the underlying dentin layer has a slightly yellowish color. This yellowish hue shows through the enamel in almost everyone, but more so for those with naturally thinner or more translucent enamel.
Using a four-shade guide, most people have teeth that are A3 in color, meaning that they are somewhat reddish brown. This is considered the average, natural tooth shade.
Among the three shades that are part of the palette of the whitest tooth shades, the B1 tooth shade and A1 tooth shade are considered the two whitest shades. However, neither of those two shades are “too white” because they are considered natural white shades.
Rather than a healthy, pearly white smile, their teeth look blindingly white. When you whiten, a good rule of thumb is to go for a shade that matches the whites of your eyes. Your goal should be to let others see the natural beauty of your smile, not a blindingly white set of teeth.
Non-White or Yellow Teeth are Unhealthy
Teeth whitening treatments usually work by stripping or entering the outer enamel layer, which makes teeth weaker if done many times. So, more often than not, yellow teeth are actually stronger than pearly white ones–so long as they're cleaned regularly.
Enamel is the hard, whitish, translucent substance that coats our teeth and prevents decay from setting in, but as we age, enamel naturally starts to gradually wear away. As enamel disappears, the yellow dentin inside the teeth becomes more visible, making the teeth appear more golden than ivory.
The white of your teeth actually comes from the outer layer, the enamel. Healthy enamel is like strong bone and protects the inner layers of your teeth. Protecting your enamel is a good way to maintain white teeth. Some people still have naturally whiter teeth than others.
Consuming Certain Foods and Drinks
Other teeth-staining foods include coffee, citrus fruits and juices, soft drinks, teas, berries, tomato-based sauces, curry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Ingredients in these foods can seep into your enamel (the outermost covering of your teeth) and cause discoloration.
Is the B1 tooth shade too white? You may be surprised but in our opinion, the B1 shade is definitely not too white by any means. The reason why we say that is because there are shades that are even whiter than B1. Although these whiter shades are not natural like the B1 color though.
You might wonder what the whitest shade of teeth is? One of the whitest shade is known as b1. If you're looking for a more natural shade of white we suggest you compare a1 to b1 tooth color. A1 resembles a darker shade of white than b1.
Brushing your teeth is meant to remove harmful bacteria and plaque but not to whiten them. As recommended by your dentist, brushing twice a day is vital because it prevents cavities and tooth decay. Brushing alone will not whiten your teeth, though, and even whitening toothpaste only has a minimal effect on your teeth.
Yes...and no. Very few people have pure, pristine white teeth. That's why those aforementioned celebrities' smiles often look so phony — they are whitened well beyond a "natural" shade. Most of us have a smile that runs the gamut from white to dark yellow or gray.
Yellow Teeth
This is the most common color of teeth. A light-yellow color indicates a strong healthy smile. The natural color of your dentin, the layer of tiny tubules that lies beneath your enamel and connects to the dental nerve in each tooth, is yellow.
The reality is that not brushing your teeth before bed is bad news. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your beautiful smile twice a day. Skip a session, and you're on your way to encouraging the growth of bacterial buildup in the form of plaque, which can lead to cavities and even gum disease.
What Can Be Done to Whiten Yellow Teeth? If you're looking for a radical change in the coloring of your teeth, you need professional-grade whitening to get the job done. Your cosmetic dentist can provide treatment that penetrates deep into the enamel and removes years of stains with a powerful bleaching agent.
Have you ever wondered how every celebrity is able to get their teeth so dazzlingly white? Cosmetic dentistry is the answer. This field of dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of the patient's smile. To do this, a cosmetic dentist might target the size, shape, alignment, or whiteness of the patient's teeth.
Studies show that whiter teeth are associated with attractiveness and that people with whiter teeth are perceived to be more sociable, friendly, and intelligent.
Going from a B2 to A1 is 6 shades lighter on the color spectrum/shade guide.
Answer: Is B1 too yellow? Historically B1 was considered a very light shade until people started bleaching their teeth. Now most people prefer the brighter bleached shades for their veneers. Also you need to take into account the color of the surrounding frame, your lips gums and skin tone.
Shades A1 and A2 are both in the yellow range of colors with A2 being a deeper amount of color than A1. Neither of them are "white" because teeth are not naturally white. To get into white you have to start talking about bleach shades.
Reader's Digest quoted Adriana Manso, a clinical professor in UBC's faculty of dentistry, for an article about how whitening agents weaken teeth. He said “bleaching products contain hydrogen peroxide that diffuses through the enamel.