Why Are My Teeth Translucent? Causes & Treatment Options

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Table of Contents
- Causes
- Treatment Options
- Prevention
- References
When you picture a healthy smile, chances are you envision teeth that are white and opaque. If you look in the mirror and realize your teeth have begun to look more translucent, you may grow alarmed. Translucent teeth are a reason to see the dentist. But such translucence is a common problem, and while it does require dental care, it's not an emergency.
People describe translucent teeth in various ways. Some say their teeth start to look clear, or "see-through," around the edges. Others remark that their teeth appear to be thinning or losing their white outer layer.
Regardless of description, the issue is thinning of the hard, white, outermost layer of your teeth — the enamel. As a result, your teeth lose their opaqueness.
Causes of Translucent Teeth
The most common causes include:
- Consuming an abundance of acidic food
- Bulimia
- Acid reflux
- Celiac disease
Acidic Foods
Exposure to acid can cause your tooth enamel to break down and deteriorate. If you eat a lot of acidic foods, particularly those with a pH less than 5.5, your teeth can grow less opaque over time. Popularly consumed acidic foods include:
- Orange and other citrus juices
- Tomatoes and tomato sauce
- Soda
- Vinegar
- Coffee, especially light roast coffee
Strangely, brushing your teeth immediately after eating acidic foods accelerates enamel damage. After being exposed to something acidic, your enamel is more porous and soft than usual. Brushing can abrade some of it away.
Dental experts recommend rinsing your mouth with water, then waiting at least 30 minutes – and preferably 60 minutes or more – before brushing.
Bulimia
Enamel erosion is especially present in the teeth of someone suffering from bulimia, an emotional disorder signaled by vomiting up food shortly after consuming it. When you regurgitate, you expel not only the contents of your stomach but also stomach acid.
Constant exposure to stomach acid causes extensive enamel damage and translucent teeth. Dentists can often simply by looking at a patient’s teeth tell whether they have struggled with bulimia.
Acid Reflux
People who deal with acid reflux or even frequent heartburn may notice their teeth turning translucent. Even small amounts of acid coming up from the stomach when the patient burps can, over time, cause enamel damage.
Damage is most often seen in patients who go undiagnosed for long periods, or in those who do not take their acid reflux medications as prescribed.
Celiac Disease
Treatments for Translucent Teeth
Having translucent teeth is not merely an issue related to appearances. Thin enamel can make your teeth more sensitive to hot and cold foods. You're also more likely to develop cavities in thin enamel, and those cavities can progress quite quickly. If you have translucent teeth, you need to see a dentist for treatment.
For slightly thin enamel, your dentist may simply recommend fluoride treatments. These treatments expose your teeth to a concentrated fluoride solution, which can help strengthen the enamel that remains. (Your teeth cannot grow new enamel once it is lost, but you can make the existing enamel stronger.)
For more serious cases, your dentist may recommend bonding. A thin, tooth-colored piece of resin will be placed over the part of your tooth where the enamel is thin. This will protect your tooth while also making it look whiter and more opaque.
If the enamel is thin over your entire tooth, your dentist may opt to cover that tooth with a crown. A porcelain crown fits over the tooth like a cap. It will look like a natural tooth while offering top-notch protection from further enamel erosion and decay.
Translucent teeth are at a higher risk for sensitivity, decay, and other damage. If your teeth are starting to look translucent, contact your dentist. They can provide the appropriate treatments and help you develop healthy habits to reduce enamel damage in the future.
Preventing Translucent Teeth
If your teeth are still opaque with strong enamel, here are some tips to help keep them that way:
1. See your doctor about frequent heartburn.
2. Seek treatment for eating disorders.
3. Limit your intake of acidic foods.
4. Use fluoride toothpaste.
5. Don't ignore symptoms of celiac disease.
6. Drink more water.
References
Celiac Disease and Oral Health: What Dentists Need to Know. (July 2017). Celiac Disease Foundation.
Erosion: Stomach Upset and Your Teeth. Mouth Healthy, American Dental Association.
Improper Consumption of Acidic Foods Could Lead to Destroyed Enamel. (June 2007). Science Daily.
Oral Profiles of Bulimic Women: Diagnosis and Management. (January 2012). Journal of Evidence Based Dental Practice.
What to Know About Fluoride in Toothpaste. (July 2021). Medical News Today.
Everything You Need to Know About Fluoride Treatment. (November 2019). Medical News Today.
Dental Bonding. (October 2018). Cleveland Clinic.
Dental Crowns. (January 2020). Cleveland Clinic.
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