WHY DO TEETH TURN YELLOW – AND HOW CAN I STOP IT?

Everyone wants a white smile, but we’re not all lucky enough to have naturally white teeth. Your teeth can also be stained or discoloured by things you do every day, which can mean making sacrifices if you want to maintain your pearly whites.

Understanding why your teeth are turning yellow or dark can be the first step to a whiter smile.

Natural ageing

Even if you take good care of your teeth, they may appear yellower or darker as you age. This is due to the outer layer of enamel wearing away to reveal more of the dentine beneath, which is yellow in hue.

Food and drink

Your teeth have microscopic pores that can absorb pigments from strongly-coloured drinks such as red wine, tea and coffee, soft drinks and sports drinks, and food such as beetroot, berries and fruits. Acidic drinks such as white wine and fruit juice make the teeth more vulnerable to staining.

Tobacco

If you need even more reasons to quit, smoking or chewing tobacco leaves yellow-brown stains on the surfaces of your teeth that can’t usually be removed through brushing alone.

Poor oral hygiene

If you don’t brush and floss your teeth as often as your dentist recommends, this can allow plaque to build up on your teeth, as well as making them more prone to stains.

Health problems and trauma

Certain diseases can affect the enamel and dentine of your teeth, causing them to change colour. This can also be a side-effect of some medications and can happen if your tooth is damaged. This usually causes the teeth to turn brown, grey or black rather than yellow.

How can I keep my teeth white?

When you know what’s causing your teeth to lose their whiteness, you can make the lifestyle changes needed to prevent this from happening.

Giving up smoking and avoiding some staining foods and drinks may be easier said than done if you have a nicotine or caffeine habit. However, even just cutting back can have a noticeable effect. Drinking through a straw helps to reduce contact of liquids with the front of your teeth.

You should also keep up with your scheduled dental check-up and clean appointments every 6 months. Your dentist may offer advice about improving your oral hygiene or recommend preventive treatments that can help to keep plaque and dental disease at bay.

If medication you’re taking is affecting your teeth, you should talk to your doctor about changing your prescription.

How can I whiten my smile?

If you want to enhance or restore your smile, your dentist can suggest treatments that will offer more even and natural results compared to whitening kits bought from a store.

Tooth whitening treatments use custom trays and whitening gel supplied by your dentist, and can be used in the comfort of your own home. Everyone’s needs are different, but most people achieve the white smile they want within 2 weeks.

Dental veneers are a more long-term option that may be suitable even if you’re not a candidate for teeth whitening. Made from porcelain or composite resin, veneers are fitted in front of your teeth. They can also be used to straighten a crooked smile or close gaps.

Your dentist will make sure you have all the information you need about each of these treatments, including any risks and costs, so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Get a check-up and clean plus teeth whitening for $450

Do you want to whiten your smile? At Sydney Park Dental, we’re currently offering a check-up and clean with teeth whitening in Erskineville for $450. This offer ends on 31st July 2018.

Find out more about our teeth whitening offer or call us on (02) 8084 7170 to talk to our dentists in Sydney Park today.