While not as urgent as other dental problems, yellow teeth can make you lose your confidence and the desire to smile every day. Fortunately, improving the color of your teeth can be as simple as changing what you eat and drink while polishing your oral care routine. You can even benefit from the whitening treatment that your dentist will do. Here are ten common causes of this unwanted hue:
1.Genetics
Sometimes tooth color runs in families. If one of your parents has yellow teeth, yours is likely a similar shade. Reddish brown, reddish yellow, gray and reddish gray are the four natural shades of normally white teeth, and this depth of color ranges from light to dark on a spectrum.
2.Dentine
Teeth appear yellow when the enamel is thin and the dentin underneath is visible. Dentin is a dark yellow to brownish material inside your teeth, below the enamel, and is usually responsible for the yellow you see when you look in the mirror. Thick enamel covers the dentin, but remember that it does not always prevent surface stains, another cause of jaundice is described below.
3.Age
As we age, teeth eventually turn yellow when tooth enamel erodes from chewing and exposure to acids from food and drink. As tooth enamel thins with age, most teeth turn yellow, but some take on a grayish tint when mixed with a permanent food stain.
4.Smoking
The nicotine from smoking not only develops an unhealthy addiction; it also leaves yellowish or brownish surface stains on your teeth (one more reason to kick the habit).
5.Foods
A wide variety of foods stain teeth. The tomatoes, curry spices, and fruit in pasta sauce all contain pigments that adhere to and stain tooth enamel. Even a healthy salad with a balsamic vinegar dressing can leave an unsightly color on your teeth.
6.Drinks
Coffee and tea are two of the most common causes of yellow teeth, but red and white wine can also be to blame. Other culprits include dark and light sodas and artificially flavored sports drinks.
7.Antibiotics
Tetracycline antibiotics stain teeth as they develop on the gums. According to the National Institutes of Health, if your mother took antibiotics in the second half of her pregnancy or you took them before age eight, you may have permanently stained adult teeth that deserve in-office whitening treatment.
8.Fluorose
Fluoride is good for teeth, but excess fluoride can cause yellow or brownish-yellow stains called fluorosis. Fluoride water, fluoride toothpaste, and prescription fluoride tablets and treatments are your greatest sources of fluoride. Ask your dentist if you are worried that you or your child is taking too much medicine in these ways.
9.Accidents
The impact of an accident or physical trauma can crack tooth enamel and damage the inside of the tooth, causing discoloration that may indicate bleeding that requires professional attention.
10.Teeth Grinding
Teeth grinding is an unconscious habit that some people have when they are stressed, especially when they are asleep. Also known as bruxism, it is quite harmful by weakening tooth enamel to the point of cracking and yellowing.
