Why are your teeth yellow? What is causing your teeth to stain?
Let’s know more about tooth discoloration and its causes.
What is Tooth Discoloration?
Sometimes, teeth turn yellow or acquire colour stains. This is called teeth discoloration. Many reasons affect the colouring of your teeth.
Yellow teeth don’t just appear overnight. It is a gradual process and thus takes time to notice. But why are your teeth yellow?
Reasons for Yellow Teeth
There can be several factors that cause teeth discoloration like:
- Eating Habits
The most common reason for yellow teeth is eating habits. There are a lot of foods that stain your teeth. Also, some drinks can gradually turn your teeth yellow.
Some examples are:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Tomatoes
- Spices
- Wine
- Berries
- Smoking
Besides building a nasty addiction, the nicotine from smoking can also stain your teeth. All tobacco products like cigarettes and pipe smoke can cause your teeth to turn yellow.
In some cases, tobacco use can also cause brown stains on your teeth. Regular use will darken your teeth over time.
- Oral Hygiene
Another common reason for yellow teeth is poor dental hygiene. It is important to listen to your dentist when they tell you to brush twice a day.
Irregular brushing and flossing can lead to plaque build-up and tooth decay. This causes food stains on your teeth. Not getting professional dental cleanings also relates to poor oral hygiene.
- Genetics
It is possible that despite following good dental hygiene, your teeth are still yellow. This might be because of genetics.
You may have inherited teeth that stain easily. Some genes have tooth enamel that is inherently yellow than that of others.
- Medication
It is a known fact that some drugs discolour teeth. Especially certain antibiotics can affect enamel formation in younger children.
Some mouth rinses and washes also cause your teeth to stain or be yellow. Thus, it is essential to know the side effects of your medication.
- Age Factor
Yellow teeth can also be a sign that you’re getting older. The outer layer of the enamel gets worn away as you age. This causes yellow stains on your teeth.
Teeth gradually start appearing yellow as a part of the ageing process because the layer of the enamel gets thinner with age.
- Disease/Illness
There are some diseases and illnesses that affect the development of enamel. This naturally causes teeth stains.
In other cases, certain medical treatments can also lead to darker stains on your teeth.
How to avoid and treat stained teeth?
There are many remedies that can lighten or whiten your teeth. Also, it is important to take the necessary precautions to avoid yellow teeth. Some examples are:
- Regular brushing
- Apple cider vinegar
- Whitening toothpaste
- Professional dental cleaning
- Teeth whitening strips and products
- Coconut oil pulling
- Hydrogen Peroxide or Baking Soda
Major Takeaways
Several reasons can be responsible for your yellow or stained teeth. It’s best to take precautions to prevent discoloration of your teeth.
Primarily, it is essential to take care of your oral hygiene and avoid dental problems. Secondly, make sure to adopt healthy eating habits and avoid foods that stain your teeth. The experts at Sharma Dental Clinic recommend regular dental checkups to prevent discoloration of your teeth.
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