Yellow teeth are a dental problem that adults often face. But you should know that the possibility of naturally having snow-white teeth is zero. The shade of skin, hair, eyes and teeth is formed from the birth of the baby, and you need to accept this as a fact.
Most of us think that a smile is naturally snow-white. But if you ask your dentist what shade healthy enamel should be, he will answer completely unexpectedly for our understanding - yellowish. And this is the truth.
Charge for regular drinks
It would seem that there is nothing reprehensible in a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, afternoon and evening. Most people have long been accustomed to these liquids, although they appeared in our culture, frankly speaking, relatively recently. One way or another, getting too carried away with them can also lead to yellow teeth. By the way, the type and color of tea does not really matter here. For example, the majority today do not even know how to choose the right green tea, opting for advertised, unnatural varieties with an abundance of artificial coloring substances. Suffice it to say that the popular so-called “milk oolong” is a chemical that the Chinese themselves will never drink.
Reasons for changing the shade of enamel
Conventionally, the reasons that teeth become yellow or dark can be divided into two main groups: external influences (food dyes, smoking, poor hygiene) and internal influences (health conditions, removal of the dental nerve, etc.). Let's look at them in more detail.
Nutritional Features
Quite often, the enamel turns yellow or darkens due to regular exposure to drinks and products that contain coloring pigments - coffee, tea, seasonings, chocolate, beets, etc. Coloring substances accumulate in the micropores of tooth enamel and dentin, which leads to a change in shade teeth.
Environmental factors
Tooth enamel can change its shade as a result of extremely poor ecology, when a person works in hazardous industries and consumes bad water, in particular, with a high fluoride content (white spots appear). Darker shades can form when the body is exposed to lead, bromine, mercury and other hazardous substances.
Hygiene factors
Poor oral hygiene leads to discoloration of teeth due to plaque formation. It occurs due to irregular, poor-quality cleaning or due to incorrectly selected products. As a result, the enamel becomes darker due to the accumulation of large amounts of deposits.
Age-related changes
Over the years, tooth enamel becomes thinner, through which darker dentin begins to show through. It is for this reason that yellow teeth appear in most people in old age.
Various diseases and their treatment
Another common cause of darkening of the enamel is diseases of the internal organs, as well as their treatment with certain drugs. The use of certain types of antibiotics, for example, tetracycline, leads to the appearance of dark stripes on the enamel (especially if it was taken during the formation of the child’s teeth during intrauterine development or their growth in the first years of life). With fluorosis, white spots may appear on the enamel, which over time become yellow-brown.
On a note! In the absence of the dental nerve (pulp), the tooth darkens over time - this is a completely normal and physiological process. Unfortunately, whitening is usually not effective in this situation, so it is worth considering the installation of veneers or lumineers.
If the tooth becomes red, this indicates damage or inflammation of the dental nerve, which requires surgical treatment by a dentist.
Bad habits
Smoking causes permanent plaque to form on the surface of the teeth, causing them to turn yellow. If you can’t give up the habit, you should strengthen your oral hygiene, as well as regularly carry out comprehensive professional hygiene at the dentist - every 3-5 months to better cleanse your teeth of plaque.
What to do with yellow teeth
Thus, we counted plenty of factors. The question remains - what to do about it? Today, technology makes it possible to solve the problem of yellow teeth quickly, painlessly and effectively. At Dentik we use the innovative ZOOM Advanced Power whitening system. It allows, using calcium phosphate and exposure to a safe diode lamp, to lighten teeth by several tones, without harming their health and guaranteeing a long-term effect. The specialist will also advise you on how to properly care for your whitened teeth and give you a set of home care products.
Contact our clinic and take advantage of this great opportunity! A dazzling smile is simple and safe!
“Handy” options for combating yellow teeth
There are many home whitening methods to lighten the shade of tooth enamel. However, before you try another method on yourself, you should consult a specialist on this issue. Below we have provided some effective tips to help make your smile snow-white:
- You need to firmly give up drinking red wine, coffee, tea and smoking.
- Natural natural whitening agents include fresh basil, lemon juice, apples and sage leaves.
- Once a week, you are allowed to add a little baking soda to the toothpaste (this is a rather aggressive abrasive substance, so you should never overuse it).
- It is better to drink any sweet drinks through a straw so that the liquid cannot leave characteristic marks on the enamel.
- Eating solid natural foods in their raw form helps to naturally cleanse the outer layer of enamel.
If you have a problem similar to that described in this article, be sure to contact our specialists. Don't diagnose yourself!
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What do yellow teeth look like in a photo?
If you have no idea what yellow teeth look like, see the photo below. In some patients, yellowness is characteristic of only some teeth, while in others, all yellow teeth can be seen without exception. The photos below also demonstrate the different localization of yellowness - in some it evenly covers the entire tooth, while in others it is localized only on some part of it. The uneven yellow color of the enamel, as can be seen in the photo, is observed when taking tetracycline antibiotics, as well as when smoking (a more yellow color is observed in the cervical areas due to the presence of stones).
Below there is a photo of what yellow teeth look like, photos of the teeth of children and adults.
Methods to combat plaque
At the initial stage, soft deposits can be easily removed with a regular toothbrush. Experts also recommend using special rinses, pastes containing useful minerals and additives to strengthen the enamel. If you neglect the recommendations of specialists and forget to brush your teeth, the plaque can become hard. Then it will be much more difficult to deal with him.
Professional cleaning at a dental clinic will help remove stone and other deposits. The examination may also reveal the following pathologies: caries, stomatitis, periodontitis, gingivitis, etc. They will need to be treated first.
An equally popular procedure is enamel whitening. Today there are many methods; the appropriate option should be selected based on the results of a preliminary examination and the clinical picture of a particular patient. Most methods are based on the action of hydrogen peroxide, which, by interacting with a catalyst, breaks down plaque and returns the smile to its former attractiveness. It is important to note that bleaching allows you to lighten enamel up to 14 tones in one session, and professional cleaning only returns the enamel to its original shade.
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How to whiten yellow teeth at home
If the reason why your teeth have turned yellow is poor oral hygiene, then you can not only enhance the care of your gums and dental enamel, but also choose a good whitening toothpaste. It will remove plaque from teeth and lighten the enamel.
There are many different ratings for oral care products, but each consumer must make their own choice after consulting with a dentist. Only he can advise the patient on the optimal toothpaste.
There are several high-quality whitening pastes:
- White Wash Nano. Ideal for sensitive teeth.
- Diamond Swiss Smile. Helps whiten enamel thanks to diamond particles.
- Lacalut White and Paradontax. They return natural whiteness, that is, they are not suitable for people who have naturally yellow tooth enamel.
- Natura House Extra.
- Perfect White Black. Copes perfectly with the yellow stain of a smoker.
You can take any toothpaste, add a solution of hydrogen peroxide to it and brush your teeth with this solution once every 3-4 days, alternating with regular brushing. The desired effect will be achieved in a few weeks.
No toothpaste will help get rid of yellowing of enamel due to tetracycline. To lighten it, you will have to resort to hardware bleaching. Fighting tetracycline stains on enamel with simple means (rinses, pastes or homeopathic medicines) is pointless and even dangerous for the future health of teeth. It will not be possible to clean the deep layers of enamel in this way.
Why are teeth yellow from birth?
A yellowish tint to teeth is normal. The chance of getting a snow-white smile from birth is zero. Every person has their own teeth color. And what it will be depends on genetic factors. If the parents have a yellow tint, then the child is likely to have the same teeth. There is a gene that determines the color of the tooth surface even before birth. Therefore, immediately after teething in infants, they may have a yellowish tint. Moreover, its intensity varies from light to dark.
Enamel is naturally almost transparent. A certain yellowish tint is given to it by minerals that strengthen the teeth and make them strong. The color of a smile is mainly determined by the dentin underneath the enamel. Its natural color is yellow or brown because it also contains minerals. If the enamel is thin, the dentin is very translucent. When its structure is thick, the yellowness is hidden. Therefore, to the surprise of many, yellow teeth from birth should not be considered a defect.
High mineralization of teeth will help prevent the development of caries. While their pronounced white color with a slight dullness, on the contrary, may indicate a lack of minerals. Because of this, the risk of developing dental diseases and hypersensitivity increases. If you look closely, you can see that the fangs are yellower than their “neighbors.” This is explained by the fact that they are the strongest and contain a large proportion of dentin.
Is it natural to have yellow tooth enamel?
Tooth enamel is naturally grayish-white or bluish-white. The natural shade of the dentin underneath is yellow, sometimes with splashes. The thinner the enamel, the brighter the dentin appears.
Also, yellow enamel indicates an increased level of mineralization and that teeth are able to resist various pathogenic microorganisms, which often cause caries. Too white tooth enamel often indicates an insufficient amount of minerals in the body, which should be accompanied by increased sensitivity and predisposition to caries.
Some people have such a naturally thin layer of dental enamel that they cannot whiten their yellow teeth, despite trying various whitening treatments and buying expensive toothpastes.
The color of tooth enamel is purely individual and is determined not only by any dental pathologies, but also by the physiological characteristics of the body. But gender is not important: the color of girls’ teeth is no lighter than that of boys.
Preventive measures
To prevent yellowing of teeth, it is important to carry out all hygiene measures efficiently and on time. We are talking about twice daily cleaning of units, even dairy ones. It’s good if parents take their child to the dentist once every 60 days. The basis of dental health is a balanced and proper diet. As for the frequency of professional cleaning, it should be carried out once every six months. Don't forget to change your toothbrushes and toothpastes on time. Teach your child to oral hygiene from an early age, then dental problems will be minimized.
Yellow plaque in children over 7 years old
Deposits discovered during school age are most often associated with improper tooth brushing procedures. It is important that a suitable brush is selected taking into account the level of sensitivity of the gum tissue. Special care is not required when performing routine procedures systematically. True, if the situation is seriously advanced, then you cannot do without a visit to the dentist. When a child is 8 years old or older, teeth cleaning using the Air Flow method is prescribed, if necessary. This procedure is safe and painless.
A harbinger of pathology is bad breath and a slippery coating on the crowns and gums. A timely cleaning procedure will prevent the mineralization of soft plaque, which often happens at this age. Refined and soft carbohydrate foods should be limited. Such products get clogged into the interdental spaces. It is useful to give children solid vegetables and fruits, for example, carrots or apples. Remember that proper hygiene is the key to oral health and the best remedy against yellow discolouration!
