While teeth are often called “pearly whites,” they don’t always live up to this nickname. Tooth enamel can turn yellow for various reasons and ruin your smile’s brightness in the process. Still, there’s no need to panic; you can address this discoloration once you learn its source. Your Stephens City dentist will even help you with that process. To that end, here’s a primer on the potential causes and solutions for yellow teeth.
What Makes Teeth Turn Yellow?
As it turns out, various factors can make teeth turn yellow over time. Some of the most common ones include the following:
- Bad Oral Hygiene – Plaque and tartar build on your teeth when you don’t brush and floss. In doing so, they often darken your enamel until it turns yellow.
- Foods & Drinks – If you aren’t careful, certain foods and drinks can turn your teeth yellow with stain agents. Good examples are berries, tomato sauce, red wine, coffee, and tea.
- Tobacco – Using tobacco will cause your teeth to get stained. Enamel often absorbs the nicotine in tobacco products, turning yellow or brown as a result.
- Natural Aging – As a person’s enamel wears away over time, their teeth will sometimes turn yellow. After all, age-related wear and tear make your dentin more visible.
What are Your Treatment Options?
Depending on the cause of your yellow teeth, cosmetic dentistry has two possible ways of treating them. These are:
Stain Removal
If your smile is only slightly yellow, your best option is to remove its stains. That means you should get teeth whitening – a treatment that bleaches your enamel white. Using a special gel, this procedure eliminates tooth stains to make your grin six to eight shades whiter.
Many practices now offer at-home teeth whitening, which uses custom bleaching trays. It can deliver a brighter smile that lasts several years with good oral care.
Stain Covering
When yellow teeth can’t be “bleached” away, the only option is to cover them up. The good news is that cosmetic dentistry can hide a smile’s discolored areas. Its methods would cover up the yellow spots, ensuring your grin looks nice and white.
The main “cover-up” option is usually dental bonding. With this procedure, a dentist applies tooth-colored resin onto the affected teeth. This material then hardens and color-matches adjacent areas.
Now that you know the solutions for yellow teeth, what are you waiting for? See your dental provider soon for the proper treatment!
About the Author
Dr. Thomas A. Gromling is a dentist based in Stephens City, VA, having earned a DDS from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. His 40+ years in dentistry make him an expert in preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative oral care, as well as dental emergencies. As such, you and your family can trust him to give you truly strong and beautiful smiles! Dr. Gromling currently practices at his self-titled clinic, and he’s reachable on his website and by phone at (540)-869-4377.