You might be surprised at how quickly teeth can yellow over time. If you’re not careful, your white and shiny smile could become discolored in just a few months. How exactly does that happen, and is there anything you can do to solve the problem?
When it comes to yellow teeth, your Skokie dentist has you covered. Below are some common causes and solutions to yellowing teeth — learn about them to get and keep the whiter smile you’ve always wanted!
Yellow Teeth Causes
There isn’t a single reason for teeth yellowing. Instead, there are several possible triggers for it. Some of them include:
- Diet: Items high in tannins like berries, apples, grapes, and red wine can often yellow teeth. By attracting proteins, sugars, and bacteria to your enamel, they cause long-term discoloration.
- Poor Oral Hygiene: Poor oral hygiene is one of the more obvious factors in yellow teeth. Plaque, bacteria, and leftover food particles can stain your teeth if not properly treated.
- Fluoride: While some fluoride can actually strengthen your teeth, excess amounts are known to stain them.
- Smoking: Smoking is one of the most infamous reasons for teeth turning yellow. Tobacco products like cigarettes, pipe smoke, and chewing tobacco all darken and stain teeth.
- Illness: Perhaps surprisingly, certain kinds of chemotherapy yellow teeth. Medications for asthma and high blood pressure can do so as well.
Yellow Teeth Solutions
Similar to its causes, yellowing’s solutions come in several forms. The most effective are teeth whitening — at home or professionally — and stain prevention.
Whiten Your Teeth at Home:
At-home whitening involves over-the-counter strips, emulsions, and gels that use hydrogen peroxide to bleach teeth white. Results are supposedly seen in a few days and could last for several months with proper care. Though economical, dentists usually discourage patients from using these products due to safety risks and less-than-effective outcomes.
Whiten Your Teeth with a Dentist:
Professional teeth whitening is done at your dentist’s office and applies a bleaching agent directly to your teeth. Depending on the level of teeth stains, you may have one or several treatments that range from 30 minutes to two hours.
Maintain Your Already-White Smile:
If your smile is already white, you can keep teeth from yellowing with good dental hygiene practices. These include brushing twice daily, flossing once daily, and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash.
Teeth become yellow for many reasons, but there are plenty of ways to reverse it. Remember these causes and solutions so smile stays white as much as possible!
About the Practice
Dr. Brad Weiss is one of the best dentists in the Skokie, Illinois, area. He has over twenty years of experience and knows firsthand what it takes to achieve a healthy, white smile. He has given countless patients whiter teeth and looks forward to doing so for many more years. Whether through preventive, cosmetic, or restorative dentistry, Dr. Weiss is always ready to meet your dental wants and needs. He currently practices at Weiss Dental Arts and can be reached at his website or by phone at (847)-864-0188.