What Causes Yellow Teeth?

Lifestyle choices and underlying medical conditions lead to tooth discoloration. There are several remedies to tooth discoloration, but understanding the root cause will inform the path to restoring your bright, healthy smile.

Causes of Yellow Teeth

There are various reasons why teeth discolor, leaving you unhappy with your smile. Some are beyond our control, such as age and accidents, while others are lifestyle-related or attributed to poor dental hygiene. Some potential causes of yellow teeth are outlined below:

• Poor Oral Hygiene: Inadequate brushing and flossing lead to stains and plaque buildup on your teeth. Missing dental visits also lower the chances of identifying any dental issues that lead to yellowing of the teeth.
• Diet: Your favorite drink is probably doing more than adding fuel and nutrition to your daily diet. Beverages like tea, coffee, cranberry juice, and wine can cause yellowing on the surface of your teeth.
• Tobacco Products: Smoking cigarettes, pipes, or chewing tobacco products can cause the yellowing of teeth. Tobacco products contain nicotine and tar, which affect the color of your teeth.
• Aging: Tooth enamel wears off as you age due to chewing and exposure to acidic foods and drinks. The receding enamel reveals the yellow dentin underneath.
• Trauma: Tooth damage at a young age interferes with enamel formation in children. Accidents can also crack the enamel and discolor the tooth. Such discolorations may signal internal bleeding and require immediate dental attention.
• Fluorosis: Fluoridated water keeps teeth strong, but too much fluoride leaves brown or yellow spots on the teeth. High water fluoride levels primarily affect children when their teeth are still forming.
• Medication: Some medications can cause tooth staining, especially in children under eight. Pregnant or breast-feeding women can also cause discolored teeth in their children when they take tetracycline antibiotics.

What Can Help Teeth Discoloration?

There are various ways of preventing further discoloration if you have yellow teeth. They include:

• Avoid Tooth-Staining Agents: Paying attention to what you eat or drink will help prevent and slow down tooth discoloration. Cutting down or avoiding tooth-staining beverages like coffee and red wine might help preserve your bright teeth. Abandoning or reducing tobacco use may help in preventing tooth yellowing and ultimately result in better overall oral health.
• Practicing Good Oral Hygiene: Proper dental hygiene will help remove and prevent plaque and tartar buildup. Regular brushing and flossing at least twice daily or after meals with toothpaste help remove bacteria and tooth stains. Scheduling regular dental checkups will also help to identify and remove hard-to-reach stained areas.
• Using Whitening Agents: Products such as whitening toothpaste, over-the-counter gels, and strips can help remove yellowness and brighten them. You should first seek a dentist’s advice before applying whitening products. These products have a bleaching agent that causes initial tooth sensitivity and mild irritation to the gums and should be used cautiously. Their intermittent usage will allow the teeth to adjust to the process.

What Dental Procedures Can Help Whiten Teeth?

Sometimes, tooth yellowing can be hard to reverse and requires professional attention. In such cases, a personalized treatment plan will help you combat discoloration. Some of the remedies include:

• Professional Teeth Whitening: The procedure is performed by a qualified dentist using professional whitening products. Your dentist will apply a whitening gel to your teeth to remove the discoloration. Several dental visits may be necessary to achieve the desired color level.
• Porcelain Veneers: These custom-made shells cover the exterior parts of your teeth and mask the stain and discoloration. They attach to the natural teeth via a dental adhesive for an improved smile.
• Dental Bonding: The dentist will apply dental resin on the discolored tooth during this cosmetic dental procedure to cover the stains. It’s a much cheaper procedure compared to using veneers.

Dental Whitening in Manassas, VA

Taking care of your teeth and preventing yellowing involves proper dental hygiene and cutting back on tooth-staining foods and beverages. Scheduling regular dental visits and using teeth-whitening products can help remove stains and discoloration. You should, however, contact your dentist in cases of severe teeth yellowing for professional whitening and other dental remedies.

The DentisTree of Manassas dentists can help you eliminate yellow teeth and regain your confident smile. The Manassas, VA, residents can rely on our dentistry team to cater to all their dental needs. Contact us today for friendly and approachable dental services.