A look in the mirror one day might show yellow teeth staining. This is usually a tint of the enamel due to various reasons. When born, your teeth are pearly white. However, with time, they become yellow depending on the habits that you adopt.
Staining usually develops slowly, and before you know it, the yellowing is deep. Many people overlook this and end up later with a problem – the stains won’t go away easily.
Staining of the teeth can occur due to a few reasons.
Eating Certain Foods high in Pigments
Tomatoes, some berries, and any other pigmented foodstuffs can cause this condition. Additionally, we have bacteria that cause dental staining. Eating foods high in sugar promotes the growth of bacteria. These bacteria lead to dental staining.
Colored Drinks
Taking pigmented beverages in high quantities can stain the enamel. However, dental experts direct that you can avoid this condition if you clean your teeth after consuming these beverages. This is why it is ideal that you maintain a strict oral hygiene routine.
Top drinks that cause the yellowing of teeth include coffee, tea, and wine.
Prolonged Smoking
This is a familiar way to end up with discolored teeth. Tobacco and other related products can cause dental staining, and if smoking grows into a habit, your teeth darken over time. Well, it is not just smoking alone, but even chewing tobacco stains the teeth.
Certain Illness
Although not a common occurrence, stains can arise from a condition that affects your enamel. Additionally, illnesses also give rise to other ailments in the mouth that stains the teeth.
Certain Medications
Medications, especially antibiotics, can discolor young children’s teeth to a gray-brown color. Tetracycline and doxycycline are the main culprits. Some antihistamines and anti-hypertensives can affect adult teeth.
When you realize your teeth are changing color after using medications, visit a certified dental Brooklyn facility to get an alternative.
Genetics
You can inherit the condition from your parents. The best thing is that normal teeth whitening strips from the local pharmacy can handle the problem and restore yellow teeth to their original white color.
Excessive Fluoride Intake
Overexposure to fluoride at a young age can lead to discoloration. This comes about from consuming a lot of drinks containing high amounts of fluoride when still a kid.
Aging
As you grow older, your enamel starts thinning and exposes the underlying dentin. This is usually yellow and will show through. This is why, as you grow older, your teeth might become yellow.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Plaque can build up and change its color to yellow. If you practice poor oral hygiene, dental staining can increase due to the accumulation of plaque.
How Do You Avoid Staining of Your Teeth?
Do-it-Yourself Teeth Whitening
If the stains are just superficial, you can use whitening products from your local pharmacy to whiten your teeth. These products contain mild bleach that will penetrate and remove the stains. If the discoloration is too deep, then these regular strips and normal toothpaste might not work – you need to consult with a dental Brooklyn expert.
The various options available include:
- Tooth-whitening kits – this kit contains carbamide peroxide, mild bleach that eliminates the stains. At times, the kit comes as a gel that you apply on the enamel using a toothbrush, while at times, you fit a tray containing the gel to the teeth. This tray needs to be applied daily for an hour or less.
- Teeth-whitening strips – these are skinny strips coated with a formulation for teeth whitening. You apply the strips for a few minutes a day for several days, depending on the outcome.
- Whitening toothpaste is a special type of toothpaste that you use like any other toothpaste to brush your teeth with to remove surface stains.
One caution, though, approach tooth whitening with a lot of care if you have restorative dental work done before. Bleaching won’t lighten these attachments, meaning they will stand out among the white teeth.
Professional Dental Whitening
When the remedies discussed, don’t work, or if the yellowing has been going on for a long time, you need to visit a dentist to handle the treatment. The dentist understands which concentration of bleach is ideal for the degree of yellowing.
