Many patients visit our dental clinic regularly when they want to whiten their yellow teeth. Teeth yellowing can occur at different stages in life or ages. However, yellowing of teeth is in most cases influenced by how well you take care of your teeth. A question that many people ask us is, “what exactly causes teeth yellowing?” This quick summary will enable you to understand the causes of yellow teeth.
Human teeth have a natural protection layer called enamel. This layer is naturally white. Therefore, the teeth of younger people are generally whiter. Once enamel wears off, it is impossible to replace. As such, you need to protect your enamel by taking care of your teeth properly.
Unfortunately, because of the dental practices and diets of some people, enamel deteriorates with time. Beneath the enamel lies a layer known as dentin. Dentin appears when the enamel disappears and this causes yellow teeth.
In most cases, you will notice a deeper yellow color on the teeth of senior adults.
Causes of enamel deterioration
Some drinks and foods cause deterioration of enamel on the teeth. Such drinks and foods will eat away the enamel especially when not washed off immediately after meals.
Here are other yellow teeth causes that you should be wary of:
Acid: Acid that is found in beverages like soda eats enamel away very quickly. Generally, when you visit reputable dentists like Gabe Doria at his dental practice in Bayonne, NJ in Hudson County, you will be advised to avoid sodas for the sake of your oral health. However, if you cannot give up soda, make sure that you don’t leave soda in your mouth for a long time.
Sugar: Sugar that is found in foods like baked goods and candy is generally not good for the enamel. Apart from eating at your enamel, it will also stain your teeth due to the coloring that these foods usually have.
Color foods: Foods with excessive color will also stain teeth, thereby changing the look of your enamel. These foods include highly colorful fruits like berries. Therefore, brush your teeth as soon as possible after eating them.
Major causes of yellow teeth and how to avoid them
Although a diet with acid or staining foods is the major problem, we have noticed that failure to take care of teeth can also cause yellow teeth.
This is what Dr. Gabe Doria recommends to ensure that your teeth stay white and healthy:
Brush regularly: Do not stick to brushing twice per day. Instead, brush after every meal. Actually, you should brush your teeth every time you eat something. However, since this is not practical, use water to rinse your mouth and this will help.
Every time you eat, food is stuck between your teeth. Leaving it there for several hours will affect your enamel.
Drink water: Your teeth will not be damaged by water. If possible, avoid beverages or other drinks during the day. Drink water only and you will not have to be worried about staining your teeth with coffee, juice and soda. However, if you cannot avoid these drinks, make sure that you rinse your mouth afterwards with water.
Every time is important: In most cases, enamel deterioration takes years. As such, some people believe that failing to brush once in a while cannot make any difference. When you visit a reputable dentist like Dr. Gabe Doria at his dental practice in Bayonne, NJ in Hudson County, you will learn than skipping brushing, rinsing after drinks and flossing contributes to faster yellowing of teeth and an unhealthy smile.
Other causes
Yellow teeth can also be due to other causes. These include excessive use of fluoride and antibiotics in young children. These cause yellow teeth later during adulthood. There are also cases where yellow teeth run in a family.
Yellow teeth treatment
If your teeth are already yellow, don’t worry. We offer different teeth whitening treatments at our office. Our teeth whitening treatments are healthy and effective. We caution you against the use of self-whitening products. Most of these products will work against your oral health by breaking or bleaching down your teeth thereby leaving them compromised and increases the chance of them returning to an even darker yellow color.
We offer professional consultations free of charge. If you want to learn about our healthy, safe teeth whitening treatments, get in touch with us.
Call us now to schedule your consultation with an experienced dentist with many years of delicately restoring smiles with teeth whitening.
