Yellow stains on teeth? Are there home remedies for yellow teeth? Explore the causes of yellow teeth and discover the available options for treatment and prevention of yellow teeth stains.
Why do I have yellow teeth? Can yellow teeth become white? These are certainly the burning questions that those who do not know what to do with yellow teeth find asking themselves endlessly. Of course their worry is valid. Having yellow teeth might limit one’s freedom to express himself/herself in fear of exposing his/her dreaded yellow teeth. You also risk being an object of ridicule or a victim of the famous yellow teeth jokes. Some display queer habits such as smiling or laughing with their mouths shut. This may even deteriorate into unnecessary low self-esteem, when there are solutions to the underlying reasons.
Yellow teeth stains present themselves as a uniform yellow substance throughout the teeth or as yellow spots on teeth. The stains may infect all or a few of the teeth, or even one tooth of an individual, depending on the yellow teeth causes. Depending on period of infection, cause or ones habits, one can have light yellow stains or dark yellow stains on teeth.
Yellow teeth stains can best be removed, treated and, most importantly, prevented when what makes them yellow is well known. The next step is to learn how to get rid of yellow teeth stains. It is important to explore all the available options that can remove yellow stains from teeth so that you can select whichever works best for you.
What Causes Yellow Teeth Stains
Why do teeth turn yellow or how do you get yellow teeth? There are a number of reasons why teeth yellow. Let us explore the key causes of yellow stains on teeth:
Aging
Aging is one of the main causes of yellowing teeth. The hard glossy substance that covers the crown of a tooth is called an enamel. Beneath the enamel is a yellow hard dense bony tissue forming the bulk of a tooth called dentin. As one grows older the outer layer of enamel is eaten away, becoming thinner and thinner. At a given stage of this process, dentin’s yellow color start to show up through the thinning enamel. This gives your teeth a yellowish look. It follows that the yellow appearance becomes more and more prominent as one grows older.
Certain Medications
The use of antibiotics such as tetracycline or doxycycline are common causes of yellow teeth in children, especially as there permanent teeth develop. The staining substances from the medicine become incorporated within the structure of the enamel as it develops, resulting in a yellowish enamel. Medications may also cause yellow stains on teeth in grownups.
Occasionally, treatments, for instance, chemotherapy and radiation involving the head and neck areas for cancers can turn your glossy color of teeth to a yellow tint.
Fluoride
Excess intake of fluoride is one of the yellow teeth causes. Fluoride supplements or water with high levels of fluoride are often the major sources of fluoride. This fluoride finds its way onto teeth where it causes yellow teeth stains. Fluoride may also be swallowed by children who use excessive fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is mainly what causes yellow teeth in children.
You may have wondered why all or most people who live or have previously lived in a given region have yellow teeth. It is very likely that the water there has high levels of fluoride. Even those who migrate to such an area and stay there for a while are affect in a similar way. This is a very common phenomenon.
Foods and Beverages
Some foods and beverages, especially those with intense colors such as berries, cherries, coffee, tea, cola and red wine, are known to cause teeth stains. Dentists say substances that stain white materials can in the same way stain your teeth. Surprisingly, other foods that cause yellow teeth include potatoes and apples! The stain causing residue from these foods stick to the surface of the enamel or infiltrate into the enamel and form the stains.
Tobacco
Both smoking and chewing tobacco is a common cause of yellow teeth stains. The yellow stains are caused by nicotine, a substance found in tobacco. Whereas nicotine is basically colorless, it becomes yellowish after combining with oxygen gas molecules, resulting in yellow teeth stains.
Dental Works
Dental works such as teeth refilling may be cause of yellow teeth, especially when the dental works fail to work as desired.
Poor Hygiene
Yellow stains on teeth may result from poor dental hygiene. Failure to brush and floss teeth regularly may lead to accumulation of stain causing residue on teeth. With time, the residue adhere to the surface of the enamel or infiltrate it, causing yellow teeth stains.
Trauma
If your teeth get injured physically, they may develop cracks of even break. The damaged areas are easily infiltrated by teeth staining substances within the mouth, which cause yellow stains.
Tissues within the tooth may also get injured and even bleed internally. The blood and dead tissues within the tooth may infiltrate the dentin of the tooth and even get into the inner side of the enamel. The result of this is yellow teeth stains or some other teeth staining.
Genetic Predisposition
Some yellow teeth stains may be due to genetic predisposition. If many members of the same family have yellow teeth, it is probably due to genetic factors. Interestingly, it is not the color but rather a thin enamel structure, which is genetically transmitted to the members of such a family.
The thin enamel makes the yellow dentin of the teeth more visible through it and hence make the teeth appear yellow. Such yellow teeth stains may be termed natural yellow teeth, since the stains are not acquired from external factors. The thinner the enamel, the more visible the yellow dentin layer is and hence the more pronounced the yellow teeth stains.
Certain Diseases
There are several diseases that affect the enamel and dentin of teeth. Such diseases can cause yellow teeth stains.
Some diseases in expectant mothers can affect the normal development of the enamel and the dentin under it. This may cause yellow tooth stains in the child later in life.
How to Remove Yellow Stains from Teeth
To determine how to get rid of yellow teeth, you need to first find out the actual cause of the stains. Besides, you need to work out whether the yellow teeth stain is the extrinsic type or intrinsic type. Extrinsic teeth stains are easier to remove, since the teeth stains are just on surface of the teeth. On the other hand, intrinsic teeth stains are difficult to remove, as they are within or beneath the enamel.
- Use teeth whitening agents/teeth bleaching agents – There are two types of methods of whitening/bleaching teeth: vital for extrinsic stains bleaching and non-vital for intrinsic teeth stains bleaching.
- Use micro-abrasion for intrinsic staining
- Polish your teeth using appropriate polishing agents
- Use teeth stain removal powder
- Use tooth stain erasers
- Use teeth whitening kits
- Use teeth stain removal strips/teeth whitening stripes
- Use teeth stain removal toothpastes/teeth whitening toothpastes
- Use home remedies for yellow teeth, for example, baking soda, lemon, strawberries, charcoal, carrots, banana peel, aloe vera, turmeric and raisins
- Employ teeth restoration/dental works — crowns, veneers, onlays, inlays and bridges can be used to camouflage teeth stains. Note that some dental works may fail and be counter-productive, which surprisingly leads to formation of stains on teeth.
Before and After Yellow Teeth Stains Pictures
How to Prevent Yellow Teeth Stains – Best Practices
Since it is believed that prevention is better than cure, we need to always strive to prevent yellow teeth stains. Prevention is indeed not only easier but also cheaper than cure. Always take timely action to avoid the formation of stains on your teeth. Regulate habits and consumption of foods that are potentially capable of staining your teeth. The best practices that may be adapted include:
Diet and Habit Adjustment
Stop chewing or smoking tobacco and reduce the consumption of foods that are known to cause or contribute to the staining of teeth.
Use a straw to take drinks which are known to cause stains on teeth. This minimizes chances of the drinks coming into contact with your teeth.
Some foods such as carrots, pears and sugarless gum cause a lot of saliva to form in the mouth. This saliva helps wash away food remains on your teeth and eradicate chances of teeth stain formation. Regularly use these foods.
Oral Hygiene
Regularly brush your teeth at least twice a day. If possible, brush them after every meal. Always use appropriate toothpaste that helps to prevent teeth staining. Most toothpastes nowadays contain anti-staining and/or teeth-whitening agents. Also, floss frequently.
In case you are using braces, improve on your care routine, as poor dental hygiene with braces may easily give your teeth yellowish color.
Teeth Cleaning
Practice professional teeth cleaning often, using approved cleaning agents. Use an appropriate string to floss (clean the spaces between adjacent teeth) in order to remove potential stain-causing substances that may accumulate there.
References
- Yellow Teeth and Other Discoloration: Causes and Treatments
- Tooth Discoloration: Causes and Treatment of Yellow Teeth and Staining
- What Are the Causes of Yellow Teeth?
