Why do people whiten their teeth?

 

Permanent teeth whitening is hot these days. But why do people actually want to have their teeth whitened? And is it something of this time? We would like to go into that in more detail.

The main reason people whiten their teeth

People want to whiten their teeth mainly because they want whiter teeth. White teeth have been a beauty ideal in the West for years. Where it used to be not very bad to have yellowish teeth, most people now really want to have bright white teeth. This is mainly because we are famous people such as actors, presenters, and models with only a white smile. To be able to associate with those people a little bit, to feel a little like them, we want what they have too. A successful show business career, a toned body, and several millions in the bank are difficult for many of us to achieve.

What can we achieve?

However, what we can easily get from what these celebs have is their white smile. Nowadays, there are all kinds of salons and dental practices where you can whiten your teeth easily and for a not-too-high price.

Have white teeth always been hip everywhere?

People have whitened their teeth since ancient Roman times. At that time, people mainly tried to whiten their teeth with urine. This is because urea, or uric acid, is released in urine over time. This is the same substance that is also released with carbamide peroxide, an ingredient found in many bleaches to whiten teeth.

Other ideas of beauty regarding the teeth

White teeth have not been one of the ideals of beauty for a long time all over the world. Thousands of years ago, the Mayas decorated their teeth with, for example, green and black jade.

Black teeth represent loyalty.

Before World War II, it was customary in Japan for women to stain their teeth black as soon as they got married. That meant loyalty. Moreover, black teeth stand out beautifully against light skin, which was a beauty ideal in Japan at the time. In North Vietnam, women from a number of population groups still color their teeth black. They do that from the age of 10. These population groups believe that black teeth are a symbol of beauty and that they prevent tooth decay.

Sirih plums for red teeth

Members of some Asian tribes chew sirih plums to get red teeth. During chewing, a red paste is created that turns the teeth red after a while. Chewing on these plums is very bad for the teeth, but some people continue to do it anyway.

File teeth to look like a shark.

The filing of teeth occurs in African countries and Bali. For example, men of the Ethiopian nomads file their teeth into sharp triangles so that the teeth look like shark teeth. In Bali, brides have a piece of their upper teeth filed. They think that by doing so, they remove bad qualities such as greed and jealousy.

Have your teeth whitened.

Yet in Arlington, radiant, white teeth have been an ideal of beauty for centuries. And it doesn't look like that will ever change. Instead, people think that white teeth simply look better, and it is one of the few ideals of beauty that you can easily meet. You can do this by having your teeth whitened.