Causes of Stained or Yellow Teeth?
Do you have stained or yellow teeth? Are you wanting a brighter smile and wonder how to whiten your teeth? It’s best to start by looking at your whitening needs and goals for your smile. You will look at your eating, drinking or your oral care which may have caused discoloration.
What Causes Discoloration of Teeth
- Poor Oral Hygiene: This one shouldn’t come as a shock, but not brushing and flossing on a daily basis is a major contributor to tooth discoloration. When you don’t brush and/or floss regularly, bacteria and food particles stay in your mouth and cling to your teeth, which can lead to tooth stains.
- Tobacco Use: When it comes to oral health and hygiene, tobacco users that chew or smoke puts them at a higher risk of gum disease and other oral health issues, but it’s also all but guaranteed to advance the yellowing of your teeth.
- Diet: Certain foods that are high in tannins which is a type of bitter and astringent chemical compounds that belongs to a larger group called polyphenols. Tannis can be found in red wine which causes stained or yellow teeth. The most common reasons of tooth discoloration include drinking beverages such as soda, coffee, tea, and wine. These substances get into the enamel of your teeth and can cause long-term discoloration. As a general rule of thumb, any food that can stain your clothes is also liable to stain your teeth.
- Illness: Some medical conditions impact the tooth enamel, which can change the color of your teeth. These conditions include metabolic diseases, undergoing chemotherapy, calcium deficiency, liver disease, rickets, eating disorders, and celiac disease. Certain types of prescription medications including medications for asthma and high blood pressure are causes of stained teeth.
- Tooth Trauma: Falling and chipping or damaging a tooth can harm your tooth’s enamel, which can lead to discoloration of the tooth. This is common in children but can affect people of any ages.
Any of the above reasons as well as others not mentioned above can stain your teeth and tarnish your smile. You have multiple choices of whitening products like over the counter or professional teeth whitening. Consider the causes of stained teeth in your expectations for teeth whitening but be sure to check with your dentist first and follow instructions carefully.
How to Brighten Your Smile
- Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening (OTC): Are teeth whitening products that are relatively inexpensive to use at home. They are available as strips, toothpaste, and whitening trays. OTC whitening products use low concentrations of bleaching agents or mild abrasives to remove surface stains from your teeth. OTC whitening trays can cost over $100. Depending on the product, it may take two weeks to a month to show visible results.
- Professional Dental Whitening: In-office whitening produces the best results and typically involves several steps. Teeth whitening is done at your dentist’s office and includes the application of a bleaching agent to your teeth. Special lights combined with bleach are used to enhance the teeth whitening. Depending on the initial color of your stained teeth, you may need one or several treatments that range from approximately 30 minutes to two hours.
If you want to whiten your stained or yellow teeth, call your dentist to discuss the many options available to whiten teeth. It’s recommend that you consult with your dentist prior to starting any whitening program.
Want to Brighten Your Smile?
If you’re interested in having a brighter whiter smile, we invite you to schedule an appointment with the McKinney dentist, Dr. Prida. You will meet with him one-on-one to discuss your dental whitening options. If you would like more information call 214-613-1500 today.