Everyone wants to show pearly, white teeth. However, keeping your smile white and bright is not easy. There are a lot of reasons your teeth can turn yellow. Thankfully, there are solutions you can consider to get your dream smile. Your Shelby Township family dentist can explain these options to you and help you pick the right one.
Common Causes of Yellow Teeth
Your teeth may turn yellow, develop dark or white spots, or darken due to different reasons. The causes of yellow teeth are categorized into the following:
- Extrinsic causes. Extrinsic teeth discoloration can result from tobacco use. Daily consumables such as tea, wine, sodas, and coffee also cause teeth discoloration.
- Intrinsic causes. Your teeth can change color because of something inside your teeth and body. They can be due to fluorosis, dental caries, trauma, and pulp necrosis.
- Age. Age-related tooth discoloration occurs later in life. It can take place when the enamel’s outer layer wears away after many years and reveals the natural color of the dentin. As a result, your teeth can look yellow or gray.
Options for Teeth Whitening
Regardless of the cause of your yellow or discolored teeth, you can fight the staining at your dentist’s office or at home. Below are solutions you can try:
- Whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste may help get rid of tooth stains because of its abrasive ingredients. However, they can only reach the surface of your teeth. You need to determine the ingredients in this toothpaste. While bleach may help alleviate the discoloration, it can negatively affect sensitive teeth. Whitening toothpaste can only remove extrinsic stains.
- In-office bleaching. To get the best results, you should have your teeth whitened at your dentist’s office. In-office teeth bleaching can be completed within an hour and can lead to incredible effects. It can effectively address intrinsic stains. It produces immediate and long-lasting results since it targets the inner structure of the teeth instead of just the surface. Also, it ensures the bleach does not harm your gums.
- Lifestyle changes. Did you know what you put into your mouth will impact the quality of your teeth? Consuming the right type of foods can provide your body with the necessary nutrients to keep your mouth healthy. Some foods can help get rid of plaque when you chew food. Raw fruits and vegetables with a crunch can clean your teeth when you consume them. Also, it can help to reduce your intake of teeth-staining foods such as soda, coffee, dark berries, and red wine. In addition, you can limit teeth discoloring and yellow teeth by quitting smoking.