A beautiful smile will many times open doors for individuals. Who does not like to see an unforgettable smile? Having white teeth makes people smile more often, with more confidence, conveys positive gestures and emotions etc. Many people find better jobs, or meet some one of the opposite sex just by smiling, but when the teeth lose their natural white which we are born with, and become yellow or stained we seem to be more conscious when we smile and lose all the benefits our smiles may bring.

Teeth whitening have become very popular and so many products have sprung into the market that promise to give you a white smile. However it can do more harm than good if these products are not used properly.

Since we are all unique individuals our teeth color also vary from person to person. There is about 16 different shades  of teeth color that range from white to brown. Although only the most noticeable ones are white, gray, yellow and brown, it is very important to identify what the actual shade of  color our teeth have, because this will tell what caused the color deterioration and how to go about treating it.

The main reason our pearly white shade goes away is when the teeth are constantly dry, the absence of moisture in our teeth often makes them lose the whiteness that makes our smile sparkly.

It is important to first know the cause of the origin or color deterioration of the teeth, which can be caused by many factors such as trauma to the teeth, long dental work, bad habits among others such as:
- Smoking cigarettes, nicotine is a substance that irreversibly stain the teeth.
-Consumption of Illegal drugs.
- Excessive fluoride content in water in some places.
- Genetics.
- Excessive consumption of coffee, soy sauce, raisins, curry, tea or red wine.
-Acidic foods.
- Liver disease.
- Normal aging.
- Stains caused by trauma.
- The consumption of some medications such as tetracycline, an antibiotic used many times for the control of acne.