Over time, many people notice their teeth developing a yellow tint. While some degree of yellowing is natural with age, excessive discoloration often results from controllable factors in your lifestyle and health. Understanding the reasons why teeth yellow is the first step toward maintaining your bright smile.
Table of Contents
Causes of External Yellow Staining
External stains increase at the outer enamel layer of your tooth. The porous floor without problems absorbs pigments from food, liquids, and materials like tobacco. This kind of staining can generally be reversed with professional cleaning and whitening remedies.
To prevent wear and tear-related yellow discoloration, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene practices, limit your consumption of acidic foods and drinks, and visit your dentist regularly for professional teeth cleanings. By taking these precautions, you can help protect your enamel and keep your teeth looking bright and healthy.
Foods and Drinks
Many foods and beverages can stain your teeth or cause plaque buildup that takes on a yellow/brown appearance. Common culprits include:
- Coffee, tea, and cola – These contain deep-colored pigments that cling to teeth. Tea is especially prone to staining due to its high tannin content.
- Tomato-based foods – Sauces, juices, etc contain chromogens that lend a reddish-orange tinge.
- Soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, red wine – The deep colors get trapped on and between teeth.
- Berries, cherries, pomegranates – Though healthy fruits, their rich pigments can discolor enamel.
- Hard candies, cough drops – High sugar content feeds bacteria and leads to plaque formation.
Repeated exposure allows stains to gradually build up over time, especially if teeth aren’t cleaned well immediately after eating/drinking.
Smoking and Tobacco Use
Ingredients in tobacco products are highly staining. Nicotine and tar in cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco causes stubborn brownish stains, irritation, gum recession, and enamel damage. Quitting is the only way to avoid this extrinsic discoloration.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Allowing plaque (bacteria film) to build up on your teeth introduces the substances that cause intrinsic stains beneath the enamel. Inadequate brushing/flossing leads to tartar that traps extrinsic stains on the tooth surface. Keeping your teeth clean is crucial for a brighter smile.
Causes of Internal Yellowing
While external stains affect the outer enamel layer, intrinsic stains occur in the inner tooth structure beneath the enamel surface. These can arise due to natural changes in your teeth or health/medication issues. Intrinsic stains may require more intensive efforts to reverse.
Enamel Thinning
The outer enamel layer protects your teeth from stains and damage. As you age, enamel naturally erodes and becomes thinner, allowing yellow dentin underneath to show through. Elderly people often have this translucent effect happening.
Dentin Exposure
If enamel erodes away significantly or gum recession occurs, the softer dentin layer is exposed. Dentin has a pale yellowish hue that alters your tooth color when visible. Habits like abrasive brushing and acid reflux accelerate this process.
Aging
In addition to enamel thinning, internal changes in tooth composition can develop a more yellow coloration as you get older. Incremental accumulation of stains also contributes to this gradual process.
Genetics
Some people are just born with thinner enamel or smaller teeth that reveal more dentin. Your genetics plays a role in your baseline tooth shade. Intrinsic discoloration originating this way is difficult to control.
Medications and Health Conditions
Certain prescription drugs (antibiotics, blood pressure medications) and health issues are associated with tooth discoloration – especially among children. Taking tetracycline antibiotics during tooth development often irreversibly stains teeth once fully erupted.
Trauma
Injuries that damage the inner tooth or kill off pulp tissue can interfere with normal color. The affected area may yellow or darken during healing. Children losing baby teeth prematurely after injuries often develop discoloration of the permanent tooth.
Preventing Yellow Teeth
Daily habits and lifestyle choices have a major impact on tooth color. Being proactive helps maintain a bright white smile for years.
Limit Staining Foods/Drinks
Restrict beverages like coffee, tea, and wine to mealtimes only. Rinse your mouth well with water after consuming. Avoid highly-pigmented foods if possible or brush soon after eating them. Moderation is key – you don’t necessarily need to eliminate them altogether.
Quit Smoking
Kick cigarette and tobacco habits that introduce horribly stubborn stains plus oral cancer risks. You’ll reap health and aesthetic benefits.
Brush and Floss
Make sure to brush twice and floss once daily using proper technique. This keeps stains from setting in and bacteria buildup to a minimum. Don’t aggressively brush too hard though.
Whitening Treatments
Use occasional OTC whitening strips, tray kits, or get professional in-office power whitening periodically to remove accumulated stains and refresh your smile. Touch ups help sustain results.
Dental Checkups
Regular cleanings allow the hygienist to clear away extrinsic staining and tartar from your teeth, keeping them cleaner between visits. The dentist can also assess for cavities/decay that may indicate inner structural issues.
Treating Yellow Teeth
If teeth become significantly stained or discolored, consult your dentist on these reversal options:
Professional Whitening
In-office power whitening is the gold standard for dramatically brightening smiles several shades in 1-2 visits. Strong hydrogen peroxide gel is activated via laser light or LED. Dramatic yellow reduction is possible with custom trays filled with lower concentration peroxide for use at home.
Over-the-Counter Whiteners
Affordable OTC gels, rinses, toothpastes, strips utilize milder carbamide/hydrogen peroxide. Results are more gradual but still noticeably improve light-moderate intrinsic and extrinsic stains. Try different application methods to compare efficacy.
Other Cosmetic Options
For severely stained/disfigured teeth not sufficiently helped by bleaching methods alone, dental veneers or bonding resurfaces teeth with a natural, brighter looking porcelain layer. Crowns fully encapsulate damaged teeth too.
FAQs About Yellow Teeth
Is yellowing inevitable over time?
To some degree, aging-related yellowing is expected. But individuals who minimize dietary staining sources and prioritize oral hygiene can slow discoloration dramatically versus those with poor habits. Regular whitening can also offset gradual accumulation.
Can stains return after whitening?
Whitening doesn’t make teeth totally stain-proof or prevent new discoloration from developing. But it does make your enamel more resistant temporarily. Avoiding heavy staining food/drinks right after whitening maximizes longevity. Maintenance whitening helps sustain results.
Why are my crowns not white like my natural teeth?
Dental crowns are custom fabricated caps made from porcelain/ceramic, metal alloys, or composite resin. Since they cover the entire visible surface, bleaches don’t penetrate them like natural tooth enamel. Crowns must be replaced to alter their appearance significantly.
Is charcoal toothpaste effective for whitening?
While charcoal has absorptive properties to help draw surface stains off enamel, there’s no evidence showing it can penetrate deeper layers. Abrasives in those pastes also risk damaging enamel over time. Thus, traditional whitening products remain better, safer options.
Can my dentist tell what caused my tooth discoloration?
Dentists have the clinical expertise to distinguish intrinsic vs extrinsic stains by examining patterns of discoloration and your specific risk factors. They’ll also check for oral health problems that can indicate structural reasons. Your input on medications, habits, diet provides helpful context too.
