Why Are My Teeth Yellow and How Can I Make Them White Again?

Most healthy human teeth are a pearlescent and slightly yellowish shade of off-white, but many people are frustrated when they look in the mirror due to their smiles being more yellow than they would like them to be. Fortunately, there ae a few excellent ways to treat yellowing at home, and your dentist can lift stubborn stains and brighten your grin with teeth whitening treatment if necessary. Here’s a quick look at why teeth turn yellow and what you can do about it.

Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?

While it’s normal for teeth to be slightly yellowish, yellow stains and accumulations can be distracting and potentially infectious. Here are a few reasons why teeth turn yellow:

• Plaque buildup: Plaque is a biofilm comprised of many harmful oral bacteria, and it’s quite easy for food residue to become stuck in it. If plaque is not regularly removed from the mouth, the germs it houses and feeds will multiply rapidly, secrete enamel-destroying acid, and cause painful oral infections. Plaque accumulations can be quite visible and are usually yellow or brown.
• Pigments and Dyes: Many foods and beverages are heavy with pigments, dyes, and tannins that can become embedded in a person’s enamel, causing unsightly stains and discoloration that can be bluish, reddish, brownish, or yellowish.
• Enamel wear: As the enamel thins over years of use, the smile’s yellowish underlayers of dentin can become more visible, which can give the teeth a duller or more yellow appearance.
• Smoking: Nicotine stains can leave the teeth with a yellowish appearance.
• Genetics: Some people are simply born with yellower teeth.

How Can I Make My Teeth Brighter at Home?

While many “do-it-yourself” teeth whitening methods are potentially dangerous, you can safely address and prevent yellowing at home in the following ways:

• Excellent oral hygiene: Brushing, flossing, and using antibacterial mouthwash every day will help eliminate plaque and stain-causing agents from the teeth.
• Limiting intake of discoloring foods and beverages: Common culprits include coffee, tea, cola, red wine, berries, candy, and dark sauces such as soy, tomato, and barbeque varieties.
• Using a straw: Drinking dark beverages through a straw can reduce how much contact they make with the teeth.
• Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated will promote ample saliva flow and help flush harmful agents away from your teeth.

How Can My Dentist Help?

Your dentist can address stubborn dental stains and discoloration that will not respond to conventional oral hygiene measures with a noninvasive and painless teeth whitening treatment that takes about an hour to complete at their office. Your oral health professional will begin by placing barriers in your mouth to protect your soft tissues before treating your teeth with a few coats of powerful whitening agent. They will then use a specialized curing light to activate the bleaching effect and leave the smile up to eight shades whiter.

About the Author

Dr. Sowmya Kumar earned her dental degree at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and regularly participates in continuing education coursework to keep her skills sharp. She takes the greatest pride in providing the finest oral healthcare in Rockledge. Her office offers general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry. To schedule your consultation for teeth whitening, contact her office on the web or dial (321) 631-4334.