Yellow teeth are the ultimate turn off for everyone!
First impressions count
A number of people have been asking Why Do Teeth Go Yellow?
There are two main reasons why your teeth lose their whiteness:
- Intrinsic stains
- Extrinsic stains
When talking about intrinsic stains, things like genetic factors, tetracycline (antibiotic) staining and high levels of fluoride. Age is another factor because as you get older the enamel on your teeth wears away exposing the yellow dentin underneath.
When talking about extrinsic stains, environmental factors come into play such as:
- Smoking
- Pigments in food and beverages
- Metals like iron and copper
Coloured compounds from these sources are absorbed into acquired dental pellicle or directly onto the surface of the tooth causing a stain to appear.
Can You Get Yellow Teeth White Again?
Of course, you can!
Especially if your talking about extrinsic stains. These can usually be taken care of by yourself through various “do it yourself” whitening products.
Whitening Toothpastes
These can work just fine if you have very slight yellowing of a couple of teeth because they contain more abrasive ingredients to help polish the teeth.
Some even have small amounts of (hydrogen or carbamide peroxide) but if your teeth are more than 2 shades yellow, then you might want to look at other options.
Whitening Strips
As the name suggests, you can buy these from the shop or online and stick the strips onto the top and bottom teeth for around 30 minutes per day.
Most manufacturers recommend you continue the treatment for 14 consecutive days to get your teeth 2 shades whiter.
Tray Based Whitening Kits
If you want to get your teeth more than 2 shades whiter without the expensive dental costs, then we recommend you give tray systems a go. Basically you are provided with a mouth tray which is supposed to fit into your mouth, moulding it into the shape of your teeth.
But before you fit it into the mouth, you apply a carbamide peroxide gel (usually 18-35% concentration) to the inside of the mouth guard/tray so that when you fit it over the teeth, the gel will evenly disperse to each tooth. These are kept in for 30-40 minutes on average but they do give some excellent results.
If you haven’t, read the review we did on the Billionaire teeth whitening kit where one of our members noticed whiter teeth in just 7 days!
(Also available on the right-hand side column in the most popular section)
In-Office Dental Whitening
If your after immediate results and have a decent budget set aside for your whitening then this is the best option because not only are you getting quick results, you are also being looked after by a dentist who knows a lot about the teeth whitening procedure.
This form of whitening is done with a laser and higher concentrations of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. The laser speeds up the chemical reaction hence why results are seen within 30-60 minutes.
Do These Methods Work For Intrinsic Stains?
Up to a certain extent but the problem with internal stains is that it’s hard to penetrate the outer layers of teeth to get to the discolouration.
Some antibiotics such as tetracycline can stain the teeth as they are developing. Most pediatrician’s avoid these antibiotics in young children. Trauma to a tooth can cause bleeding inside the tooth which can also lead to intrinsic stains.
You are going to have to go to a dentist and get some advice on what to do. Over the counter whitening treatments are not likely to work for these types of stains.
Some teeth may require crowns and veneers. Teeth that have stained from internal bleeding may require root canals followed by a whitening procedure.
How Do I Stop My Teeth From Being Yellow
If your stains are intrinsic then there’s very little you can do. The best option is go and talk to your dentist to see what type of stains they are and how to manage them properly.
But if your stains are extrinsic then the first thing you need to ask yourself is:
How many cups of tea or coffee am I drinking per day?
This is the most common theme among people who are complaining of having yellow buck teeth. They drink up to 6 cups per day and wonder why their teeth are not getting whiter even if they are undergoing a whitening treatment.
Smoking is another habit and an unhealthy one at that. The chemicals contained inside cigarettes (nicotine & tar) permeate and darken the surfaces of the teeth.
Plaque & Tarter Buildup Can Leave Yellow Deposits
If your oral routine is not up to scratch, it might be a factor in your teeth turning more yellow.
If you don’t brush adequately, a yellow substance called plaque starts to develop which if not taken care of, will calcify and turn to tartar.
This causes other problems with your mouth, such as gum disease, so you need to be making sure you’re brushing and flossing each and every day.
The only thing worse than yellow teeth are No Teeth At ALL!
The Solution
Reduce your intake of coffee and tea drastically. Only have 1-2 cups per day, No More!
Why not replace traditional smoking with electric vapours. Ones which don’t have all the nasty chemicals, or better yet, stop smoking, Period!
You will feel much better 
Are Yellow Teeth Unhealthy?
Yellow teeth are not necessarily a sign of bad health unless you are smoking a lot in which case yes, you are unhealthy.
Your teeth might be in good working order but the amount of coffee, tea or wine that you have been guzzling down has caught up with you and has resulted in the yellow tinge that you now see.
We know a ton of people who have perfectly healthy oral health i.e no bleeding gums, no enamel issues or sensitivity but they have yellow teeth.
So don’t think something is wrong with you if your in this situation. Just go see your dentist to figure out what type of staining it is and then go and get some whitening carried out.
Concluding Thoughts
Why Do Teeth Go Yellow?
There are 2 types of staining: Intrinsic and Extrinsic and depending on which type you have, it will either be really easy to whiten your teeth or become a bit of a hassle.
Intrinsic staining is caused by genetic factors, antibiotic staining and ageing. These are things you can’t do much about, although now that we know certain antibiotics like tetracycline cause internal stains, doctors tend not to give these to patients anymore, especially pregnant women.
External stains however are caused by environmental factors with the most notorious ones being drinks like tea, coffee and red wine. If your someone who chugs down more than 3 cups per day, you my friend need to reduce this down to 1-2 cups.
Only then can you look at teeth whitening options.
