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Yellow Teeth

06 May 2013

It’s often assumed that when someone has yellow teeth, that it’s a sign of poor dental health or lack of oral hygiene. In many cases, it’s simply a matter of avoiding certain foods or beverages that can naturally darken the appearance of teeth. Making good choices can reduce additional tooth stain, but it won’t remove what’s already there. That’s when Dr. Pang and Cosmic Smile Dental come in. We can safely and effectively lift years of stain from your teeth, leaving you with a whiter, brighter, healthier looking smile.

Why Do I Have Yellow Teeth?

Everyone has a slightly yellow tint to his or her teeth. The tooth structure below the white tooth enamel is called dentin, and dentin is yellow in colour. On some people this colour shows through more than others. Then we have stains that deposit themselves into our tooth enamel, making teeth appear brown, yellow and dirty. Stains can reside both on top of enamel as well as deep within it. If not cleaned regularly, tartar deposits may also cause green, brown or black accumulations along the gums. Good dietary choices, dedicated oral hygiene and routine preventive care appointments are effective ways to keep tooth discoloration at bay. Additional factors that you may be surprised to learn affect your tooth coloration include:

  • Medication: Prescription medications such as doxycycline and tetracycline can permanently affect tooth coloration in young children. Adults that take blood pressure medications or antihistamines may also experience staining of the teeth. Treatments like chemotherapy or head and neck radiation may also play a role.
  • Lifestyle: Coffee, wine, tea and smoking can cause dramatic tooth discolouration.
  • Environment: High fluoride levels in water or excessive consumption of fluoride toothpaste can affect the formation of enamel, causing brown or white spots and pitted areas.

Preventing Yellow Teeth

Choosing to have a professional whitening treatment completed can make your smile appear years younger. Several shades of improvement are very common. However, for long-lasting results it’s best to take note of and avoid factors that may cause your teeth to become re-stained.

  • Use a Straw: This simple tip can help prevent your teeth from coming into contact with beverages such as coffee or soda that may darken your teeth, keeping your teeth whiter for a longer period of time.
  • Eat ‘Whitening’ Foods: Chew on celery or carrots after drinking wine or coffee as these crunchy items act like a little toothbrush. Apples are another great choice as their acidic nature and fibre-laden flesh have fantastic cleaning capabilities.
  • Touch Up Whiten Every Few Months: Wear your professional whitening tray and gel for an hour each day for 3-7 days to touch up your pearly smile and remove mild stain deposits. Many people find touching up every 6 months to be effective, but people that smoke or drink large amounts of coffee or tea may need to touch up closer to every 3 months. 

Treat your yellow teeth at Cosmic Smile Today

No matter how stained your teeth are, Cosmic Smile Dental can help transform your smile into one that you’ll be anxious to share. Say goodbye to dull, yellow teeth and book a whitening consultation with Dr. Pang at Cosmic Smile Dental in Sydney today.