Your face has 15 muscles that work together to make a smile. Like some people, though, you may avoid using these muscles because you are embarrassed by your discolored teeth. A simple procedure called bleaching may whiten your teeth and allow the real you to shine through. Just as people have different skin and hair color, people also have different tooth color.
Some teeth are more yellow, and some teeth yellow with aging.
Natural tooth color can be discolored by a number of causes. The surface of the tooth can be stained by tobacco, certain foods and beverages such as coffee, tea and berries, and by deposits of calculus or tartar. Discoloration of the tooth internally can result from aging, injury, excessive fluoride, certain illnesses and taking the antibiotic tetracycline during early childhood. There are two types of bleaching procedures. The procedure that is done in the dental office takes from 30 minutes to one hour per visit.