Although not as severe as other dental problems, yellow teeth can make you lose confidence and the courage to smile every day. Fortunately, improving the color of your teeth can be as simple as changing what you eat and drink while improving your oral care routine.
You may even benefit from a teeth whitening treatment by your dentist. Here are primary causes of this undesirable tinge:
CONSUMING CERTAIN FOODS AND DRINKS
Specify foods that are high in tannins, such as red wine, are potential causes of yellow teeth. Other teeth-staining foods include coffee, citrus fruits and juices, tomato-based sauces, soft drinks, curry, teas, berries, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Ingredients in these meals can seep into your enamel (the outermost covering of the teeth) and trigger discoloration.
BAD ORAL HYGIENE
The common cause is bad oral hygiene (but i you’re brushing daily, this likely isn’t why your teeth are yellow). People with bad oral hygiene rarely brush, use mouthwash, and floss.
MEDICATION
Did you recently begin taking a drug or medication? Or are you undergoing treatment for a major illness? Tooth discoloration can be a side effect of some medications and treatments, including prescription medications for asthma and high blood pressure.
Certain drugs can discolor kid’s teeth, especially. The antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline can affect enamel formation in kid under the age of 8. Mouth rinses and washes containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride can also stain the teeth. Antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, and antihypertensive medications also can trigger teeth discoloration.
If you brush your teeth daily but can’t seem to brush your way to a white smile, study any medication you are taking. Look for “tooth discoloration” in the list of side effects and visit to the doctor about alternatives.
SMOKING OR USING TOBACCO PRODUCT
One of the side effects of smoking is staining of your teeth. This is triggered by the tar and nicotine in the cigarettes. Smoking can make your teeth yellow in a short period of time, and people who have smoked for long long time often complain that their teeth are brown.
In Montana alone, there are more than 146,000 current smokers. Are you one of them? If you brush every day but continue to smoke, tobacco could be why your teeth aren’t pearly white.
Looking at the bigger picture, though, yellow teeth are just one minor factor to consider quitting tobacco. About 90% of people who build cancer of the mouth, tongue, lips, and throat use or have used tobacco products.
