Health & Fitness Does Racial Pigmentation Affect Your Smile’s Brightness? Uneeb KhanSeptember 28, 2022091 views Racial pigmentation can affect the overall appearance of your smile, but it doesn’t have to be a negative effect. If you feel that darker gums are limiting your self-confidence because they make your teeth appear discolored, you don’t need to live with that constant feeling of embarrassment! There are several ways to lighten the color of your mouth’s pigment if that is what you want. Table of Contents What Is Ethnic Pigmentation?How Many People Have Darker Gums?Do Oral Health Professionals Change Patient Perception About Appearance Based On Ethnicity?What Is Multifocal Pigmentation And Why Should I Care If I Have Darker Gums or Mucous Membranes?Ethnic And Multifocal Discoloration – The Bottom Line For You: What Is Ethnic Pigmentation? Racial pigmentation, ethnic pigmentation, and multifocal pigmentation in the gums and oral mucus membranes are not health threats. However, many people feel that darkly pigmented gums limit the self-confidence afforded by a bright white smile. The color of one’s teeth is largely determined by their ethnicity. A person with African ancestry will have darker teeth than someone with European ancestry because their genes code for more pigment production. Additionally, genetic mutations to the MC1R gene can affect tooth whiteness as well as hair and skin coloration. How Many People Have Darker Gums? Racial pigmentation can be present in the gums and oral mucus membranes. However, this is not a health threat. Still, some people feel that darker gums limit the self-confidence they can achieve with a bright white smile. For example, studies have shown that darker-skinned people are more likely to develop gum disease due to their low immune response to trauma or infection than those with lighter skin tones. But don’t worry! There are many ways to lighten your gums at home, like apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide mouthwash. Do Oral Health Professionals Change Patient Perception About Appearance Based On Ethnicity? Oral health professionals may not discriminate based on ethnicity, but do they discriminate based on how healthy a person’s mouth looks when they walk in for their appointment? When it comes to perceptions about appearance, are we more likely to be judged by what is inside our mouths or what is outside of them? If a patient has darkly pigmented gums, does that mean the hygienist won’t take care of them with the same attention and skill as someone with brighter-looking gums who visits the office for their regular cleaning every six months? What Is Multifocal Pigmentation And Why Should I Care If I Have Darker Gums or Mucous Membranes? There are many misconceptions about racial pigmentation, ethnic pigmentation, and multifocal pigmentation. One is that darkly colored gums can prevent someone from having a bright white smile. This is not true. In fact, people with darker skin tend to have brighter teeth than those with lighter skin because of the natural contrast between the two colors. What has been shown to be correlated with healthy teeth and gum tissue is a balanced diet including dairy products, vitamin C-rich foods like oranges or leafy green vegetables, and avoiding excessive sugar consumption. So if you want a whiter smile without worrying about race or ethnicity, make sure to eat your fruits and veggies! Ethnic And Multifocal Discoloration – The Bottom Line For You: Ethnic pigmentation and multifocal pigmentation are both caused by melanin, the pigment responsible for skin tone and eye color. The difference is that in ethnic pigmentation, the pigment is concentrated in one area of the body or another. Multifocal pigmentation, on the other hand, is a type of pigment that’s spread out over a larger surface area. It can affect any part of your body but it seems to be more common in your mouth than anywhere else.