One of the most frequently asked questions by our patients is, “What is the whitest tooth shade?” We will answer that once and for all today.
The whitest tooth shade is B1 if we’re talking about natural teeth color without the assistance of teeth whitening. If we include bleached teeth, the whitest bleached tooth shade is 0M1.
The video above should’ve given you an idea of the tooth whiteness scale and all of the shades. Although it does help to see still photos of the tooth color comparisons, which we will provide and also prove to you the whiteness of B1 and 0M1.
Whitest natural tooth color
Without a doubt, the whitest tooth shade for natural teeth is the color B1.
Evidence of tooth shade B1 being the whitest can be determined systematically by comparing it to the other shades. However, before we do that you should understand what the most commonly used shade guide by dentists is and how it works.
Understanding the VITA shade guide
How the VITA shade guide works:
- Each tooth shade is labeled with a letter followed by a number.
- Each letter determines the color family that it falls under.
- Each number determines how “light” or “dark” that specific shade is.
- The lightest color of the family would be number 1.
- The darkest color of the family would be number 4.
| Color Family | The color |
|---|---|
| A shades | Reddish-brownish |
| B shades | Reddish-yellowish |
| C shades | Grayish |
| D shades | Reddish-grayish |
In case you didn’t believe us on the color, below is the manufacturer’s instructions for each shade and their respective color.
Systematic determination of B1 being whitest color
B1 is the whitest natural tooth color and we’ll prove it to you systematically.
- Firstly we’ll determine the whitest tooth shade in each respective color family.
- Secondly we’ll compare the whitest shade of each color family to one another.
A tooth shades
Tooth shade A1 is whiter than A2, A3, A3.5, and A4 making it the whitest of the A family of colors.
Note: A2 and A3 make up the bulk of the average tooth shade for the general population.
B tooth shades
Tooth shade B1 is whiter than B2, B3, and B4 making it the whitest of the B family of colors.
C tooth shades
Tooth shade C1 is whiter than C2, C3, and C4 making it the whitest of the C family of colors.
D tooth shades
Tooth shade D2 is whiter than D3, and D4 making it the whitest of the D family of colors. There is no D1 tooth color in case you were wondering. It wasn’t an error that we left it out.
Comparison of the whitest tooth shades of each color family
The photo below compares all of the whitest teeth colors of each color shade family. As you can see, tooth color B1 is whiter than A1, C1, and D1.
A common question that we get asked is A1 vs B1, which one is the whitest? While they’re both very light in color, B1 is slightly whiter than A1.
Whitest bleached tooth color
The whitest tooth shade for bleached teeth is 0M1.
Yes, 0M1 is even whiter than B1 (whitest natural tooth color).
How to achieve 0M1 tooth shade
The only way to get your teeth as white as 0M1 is with consistent teeth whitening over a long period of time such as 1-2 years. You will need to combine professional in office whitening along with at home products in order to achieve it.
Alternatively, if you don’t have the patience to whiten your teeth for that long, you can always get dental veneers. That improvement in color can be instantaneous. Below is a veneer color chart that you can use to select your porcelain shade.
Verdict: What is the whitest tooth shade?
For natural teeth, the whitest tooth shade is B1 but if you take into account teeth whitening, the whitest shade for bleached teeth is 0M1. The 0M1 shade is extremely white and can stand out too much if you were picking a veneer color.
However, we can’t really stop our patients from choosing what they like!
Summary key points:
- What is the whitest natural tooth shade? B1.
- What is the whitest bleached tooth shade? 0M1.
- What is the whitest tooth shade out of every color available? 0M1.
In summary, the whitest color that you can have for your teeth would be 0M1.