Why are my teeth turning yellow? Can yellow teeth become white again? How can I whiten my teeth by myself? A lot of questions are solved in one solution that is described by muniriyathse (safety zone) in this blog. Having white teeth has become a necessity not only aesthetic but also psychologically. But not all people have naturally white teeth. And not always do the yellowish teeth turn whitish due to tobacco or coffee.
Although each person has a colour that is the result of their genetics, poor oral hygiene, and using tobacco can indeed turn them yellow. Tartar is a film that adheres to the tooth and causes a yellow colour in the transition areas with the gum.
There is also the possibility that alterations of the teeth are present from birth and are of a colour other than white. Some genetic disorders such as dentinogenesis and amelogenesis imperfecta affect the enamel causing a yellowish and even brown colour in the teeth.
However poor oral hygiene is the main cause of the yellowing of your teeth if you do not suffer from these congenital diseases. This is because many foods, including tobacco, contain pigments that can stain enamel. To avoid this, you must perform good dental hygiene after each meal.
Why are my teeth turning yellow? Teeth whitening
For teeth whitening, you should always not need to go to your dentist because it is appropriate to make whiten teeth in one day. As you can see, the possible causes of the yellow colour of your teeth are multiple and you have to determine them before acting. The important thing is to maintain adequate oral hygiene, daily and after all meals.
What are the causes of yellow teeth?
But not only poor hygiene and food can affect the colour of your teeth. Other possible reasons should be studied in case you suffer from the problem of fluorosis. What we tell you next may seem strange to you, and that is that some mouthwashes can yellow your teeth.
And also after some treatments such as endodontics, which produces a darker colour of the treated tooth. Another possible cause is trauma that causes internal clots in the tooth, which lead to a dark colour in it.
LACK OF HYGIENE
Together with the previous cause, the lack of oral hygiene is one of the biggest causes of yellow teeth. If we do not clean our teeth correctly, the bacteria accumulated on them will crystallize and form a yellowish layer called tartar. This sticky layer encourages the appearance of more tartar and, in addition, alters the aesthetics due to its yellowish and brown tone if it lasts for a long time.
In addition, its removal requires professional cleaning. Not treating this problem of tartar accumulation in time has serious consequences for the gums, and ultimately the bone that surrounds the teeth, which ends up causing mobility and even tooth loss.
TOBACCO, MEDICINES AND DRUGS
As is known, tobacco is one of the habits that do the most damage to oral health. Its consumption not only greatly darkens the teeth but can cause bad breath and many other serious problems. In addition to tobacco, other drugs are harmful to dental health, destroy tooth tissue and excessively damage the patient’s teeth.
Also, some medications have the acceleration of wear and colour alteration as adverse effects. There are medications, such as tetracyclines, very popular in the 60s and 70s, which cause severe darkening of the enamel, forming horizontal lines on the teeth.
Genetic causes
The colour of the teeth depends on each person,” Dr Óscar Castro Reino, president of the General Council of Dentist Colleges of Spain, tells BBC Mundo.
“There is an important genetic condition that defines the colour of our teeth from birth,” adds the expert. According to Dr Castro, there are also some congenital diseases “such as dentinogenesis or amelogenesis imperfecta that cause defects in the enamel or dentin, causing them to acquire a yellowish or even brown colour.”
“It is a process that is inherited from parents to children,” explains the doctor. In addition, “endocrine disturbances from thyroid hormones also influence tooth colour and can cause staining and discolouration. There are other different factors by which we can have the most yellow teeth and a person can be affected by several of them:
- Smoking: Teeth tend to stain due to the effect of nicotine and tar from cigarettes, which is why smoking is one of the main causes of yellow staining on teeth.
- Eat foods that turn teeth yellow: On the one hand, people with eating habits that include products with a high content of pigments such as tea, coffee or spices can suffer from yellowing of the teeth, On the other hand, large consumption of acidic foods (lemon, orange, lime, vinegar…) can cause the most superficial and protective layer of the teeth to wear down. When this layer, which we know as enamel, disappears, it leaves the second layer of the tooth (the dentin) on the surface, whose colour is more yellow.
- Having suffered a blow to a tooth: Dental trauma can cause nerve necrosis over time and, consequently, this can darken or yellow the tooth.
- Suffering from a congenital disease: Congenital diseases such as dentinogenesis or amelogenesis imperfect are disorders that occur during tooth development, in which the formation of these tooth layers occurs abnormally, with the colour of the affected tooth.
- Excessive oral intake of fluoride: In some places, the water can also turn teeth yellow, as it contains “tremendous amounts of fluoride, which cause an excess of this substance known as fluorosis, which causes stains on the teeth. There are geographical areas where the water is excessively fluoridated and this causes the teeth to take on a yellowish colour. Excess fluoride in the teeth is called fluorosis. On the other hand, drugs such as tetracycline cause this greyish, striated effect on tooth enamel.
- Some types of antibiotics: such as tetracycline, can cause an alteration during the formation of the tooth, causing it to be born with a striated brown colour.
- Ageing: Naturally, teeth darken over time. This darkening occurs because food and the rubbing of teeth progressively weaken the enamel layer and cause the dentin (of a darker colour) to the outcrop.
- Trauma: If you’ve ever had a tooth knocked out or chipped, the resulting injury can cause your teeth to become discoloured.
- Medications: Some medications, such as tetracycline, can cause teeth to become discoloured.
- Plaque buildup: Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, plaque can build up and harden into tartar. Tartar can cause your teeth to look yellow and can also lead to other dental problems, such as cavities and gum disease.
How to prevent teeth from turning yellow?
Whatever the solution proposed by the specialist in dental aesthetics, it is important to highlight that to maintain the results of any treatment for longer, it is essential to carry out a good hygiene routine at home and healthy eating habits. Here are some tips to help prevent your teeth from turning yellow:
- Brush your teeth after every meal,
- Floss every time we brush,
- Use a fluoride rinse after brushing at night,
- Use a soft bristle brush to avoid attacking the enamel or gums,
- Change the brush -or its head- every three months so that these bristles do not lose effectiveness,
- That is if we like a food or drink that stains our teeth, we don’t need to eliminate it from our diet completely, but it is necessary to apply moderation,
- And, especially, avoid tobacco,
- Use a fluoride toothpaste.
- Avoid sugary foods and drinks.
- Limit your intake of coffee, tea, red wine, and other staining foods and drinks.
- Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
- See your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings.
As you can see, within these recommendations we have not only provided you with good guidelines for your mouth but also for your general health.
TEETH WHITENING
This technique is the most requested and known by patients. To apply it, it is essential to have previously carried out a professional cleaning to eliminate the scale and stains that may exist.
There are many different techniques to lighten the colour of the teeth, currently, the most used consists of combining gels that whiten the teeth by reacting with a certain LED or laser light, with the application of another type of product that the patient applies at home, under supervision of the dentist in frequent check-ups during treatment.
It is important to emphasize that dental whitening is not a lifetime technique, that is, whitening is temporary and it is up to the patient to extend it as much as possible. Through perfect hygiene and control of the food we consume, we can greatly extend the duration of the treatment.
DENTAL VENEERS
They have a purely aesthetic objective. Dental veneers are very thin sheets that adhere to the tooth and provide solutions to problems such as dental darkening, the position of the teeth or the shape. This treatment is positive, comfortable and painless. They allow the patient to have a perfect, uniform and white smile. It is a lasting and minimally invasive treatment. The perfect solution to have an ideal smile.
Current technology allows us to do computer simulations to visualize how the treatment would look before carrying it out. These are treatments that can completely change the life of the patient, since after their completion, they can smile with confidence, putting an end to complexes that sometimes last a lifetime and generate a multitude of psychological problems.
Conclusion
The idea is to go to the dentist and see what can be done to whiten them and, above all, rule out any previous pathology. As for home remedies, such as baking soda with lemon, the dentist warns that care must be taken: “It is an acid that erodes and whose effect would be the same as rubbing the tooth with sandpaper”.
A doctor can help you determine the cause of the discolouration and recommend treatment options. In some cases, you may be able to whiten your teeth with over-the-counter products or professional whitening treatments. In other cases, you may need to address the underlying cause of the discolouration, such as plaque buildup or tobacco use.
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