Rodney Dangerfield: "Doctor, doctor, my teeth are yellow. What should I do?"
Dentist: "Wear a brown tie"
Causes of Yellow Teeth:
• Inadequate oral hygiene leaves stain, plaque and tartar behind. There’s a reason we suggest that you floss daily and brush after each meal. Without good efficient you can leave a distinctive layer of unappealing crud on your teeth. This can be anything from a fine brown film to a dark black crust. Once it gets this bad, it will take the magic of our wonderful dental hygienist to eradicate it. The key is prevention. The longer stuff stays on the teeth, the harder it is for you to remove it with your toothbrush and floss.• Food and drink are big culprits, especially drinks like coffee, tea, and red wine. Colored foods like blueberries and soy sauce can stain your teeth and play a role in the discoloration. Choosing white wines over red wines will aid in keeping teeth whiter. Eating lean meats like chicken decreases staining while eating dark or red meat increases staining. If you are going to drink coffee, tea, or juice, using a straw will prevent direct contact with teeth and decrease the potential for staining. Making subtle changes to the foods that you eat and combining oral hygiene with dental checkups help to keep teeth free from stains. While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, eating acidic foods regularly can dissolve the protective tooth enamel and allow stains to appear on the teeth. Eating your favorite foods may satisfy your hunger or sudden cravings, but they may be harmful to your teeth. We do need to be careful not to brush immediately after eating something acidic. Check out our blog on when to brush your teeth.
• No surprise that smoking and chewing tobacco can cause horrendous stains. They can make teeth a color of yellow and brown that can rival the most experienced ash tray. Nicotine in the tobacco can leave deposits on the teeth that lead to discoloration, not to mention the gum disease and bone loss that it causes.
• Aging is another cause of yellow teeth. Over time, the enamel on a tooth gets thinner and more translucent, allowing the inner layer of the tooth (the dentin) to show through. This inner layer is more yellow in some peoples teeth than others. Although it is hard to prevent aging, the thinning enamel can be minimized by avoiding abrasive toothpastes.
• The often overlooked one- acid. When teeth come in contact with acid, they become more porous allowing stain to move into the enamel layer. Acidic foods and drinks are big players in this, particularly soft drinks. But the list is long; sports drinks, fruit juice, salad dressing, fruit, tomatoes, etc. The other source of acid is from within. Gastric reflux, or GERD, is the creeping up of acid from the stomach that usually occurs at while sleeping that then bathes your teeth in a pool of acid. Some people will have no knowledge that this is taking place, but it will show up as very yellow teeth among other oral clues. We are always looking for that. Acid plus any of these other causes is the perfect storm for yellow teeth.
Although there are many causes of yellowing teeth, being aware of these reasons can help you keep your smile white and bright. Visit us regularly to ensure a healthy, beautiful smile.
After a professional cleaning, the next step is professional whitening. Check out our options for whitening. No one needs to hate the color of their teeth anymore.
