Can You Whiten Yellow Teeth?

Unlike other dental conditions, although not harmful or life-threatening, yellow teeth can impact your self-confidence and willingness to smile whenever you meet anyone. Fortunately, changing the color of your yellow teeth to a brighter shade is as simple as changing the foods and beverages you have and improving your overall hygiene regimen. Benefits are also available from teeth whitening services provided by dentists.

Before you consider remedies for whitening yellow teeth, have you ever wondered what the causes for yellow stains on teeth are? If not, we suggest you continue reading this article to gain comprehensive knowledge on this subject to ensure you have a proper understanding of the reasons why your teeth are yellow and what you can do to improve their shade.

Let us look at some of the reasons for yellow teeth to make you aware of their causes.

Genetics

In many cases, genetics is a reason for the ungainly-looking yellow teeth in your mouth. If your parents have yellow teeth, the chances are likely that you will have a similar concern. The natural shade of your teeth, besides being white, are reddish-brown, reddish-yellow, reddish grey, and grey. The depth of the color can vary from light to dark.

Dentin

Your teeth display a yellowish shade when your tooth enamel thins to expose the dentin beneath. Your dentin beneath the enamel is deep yellow or brownish. If you have thin enamel, you will likely see a yellowish shade of your teeth when you look at yourself in the mirror. The hard protective enamel covers the dentin but doesn’t stop stains from penetrating the surface to cause yellow colors on your teeth.

Wear

Your teeth begin appearing yellow as you age because the enamel wears off from chewing and acid exposure from foods and beverages. Yellowing of the teeth with aging is standard because of thinning of the enamel.

Tobacco use

Nicotine from smoking leaves yellow and brown stains on your teeth.

Foods and Beverages

Many foods and drinks also leave stains on your teeth. For example, if you frequently enjoy pasta sauce, curry spices, berries, spaghetti sauce, et cetera, they contain pigments that cling to your tooth enamel to stain the outer surface. In addition, beverages like coffee, green tea, red wine, sports drinks, and carbonated drinks are also responsible for staining your teeth.

Infections

Dental infections damaging the interior of the tooth can also cause your teeth to discolor.

Antibiotics

The research journal of pharmacy and technology recently revealed that tetracycline antibiotics used when treating common infectious diseases among children and adults are also reasons for teeth discoloration. The study mentioned that pregnant and lactating women should not receive tetracycline antibiotics because they cause discoloration in the primary dentition of the fetus in the womb of the mother. Tetracycline causes yellow discoloration in the child’s teeth and may require in-office teeth bleaching treatments to eliminate staining from the teeth.

Besides the above impacts from an accident or physical trauma, cracking the tooth enamel also leads to discoloration. Bruxism is another problem that causes people to grind and clench their teeth when sleeping, making it a harmful habit for the teeth enamel.

Is It Possible to Prevent Yellow Teeth?

If you want to avoid yellowing your teeth, you must practice a proper dental hygiene regimen, including brushing and flossing and visiting the dentist for exams and cleanings. You can also consider teeth whitening services from dentists using bleaching ingredients to remove extrinsic and intrinsic stains from your teeth. The optimal method to prevent yellow teeth is to brush your teeth twice daily and floss them at least once. However, if you have yellow teeth and are concerned about your teeth’s appearance, you can visit the dentist near you for teeth whitening treatments, as suggested earlier.

When dealing with intrinsic stains over your teeth, your dentist gently removes any plaque and tartar on your teeth before protecting your mouth’s soft tissues using a cheek retractor and a rubber dam over your gums before applying concentrated hydrogen peroxide over the front surfaces of your teeth. The protective measures ensure you don’t have sensitive teeth after whitening, especially if the hydrogen peroxide leaks over your cheeks or gums. Dentist-provided in-office teeth whitening treatments are effective to help you Whiten yellow teeth. However, you must quit smoking and limit the consumption of foods and beverages responsible for yellowing your teeth.

Yellow teeth are undoubtedly an embarrassment, but with many solutions available to correct the problem, there is no reason for you to express shame.