How To Get Rid of Yellow Teeth

My yellow teeth used to bother me a lot!  Which is why I needed to figure out how to get rid of yellow teeth!

My smile are one of the first things people see, making them a major element when I’m making a first impression.  White teeth give the impression of radiant health, warmth, vitality and happiness.  If I greet someone with a giant smiling mouthful of yellow teeth, this can have a negative impact on that first impression.

So, I researched and figured out why my teeth weren’t as white as they could be.  Once I knew the facts about why, I could then research how to fix my yellow teeth at the root cause.  In this article, I share what I found out, what works, and what doesn’t.

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I really wanted to find out how to get rid of yellow teeth.

First I had to figure out why my teeth had that yellow stain teeth so that I can make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent further yellowing.

I also wanted to know what could be done to restore my smile to one that is bright, white and healthy.

What Causes Yellow Teeth?

During my research of how to get rid of yellow teeth, I found that extrinsic tooth discoloration is responsible for staining your enamel.

The enamel of your teeth is the hard outside of your teeth that is high in mineral content, and is the hardest substance in your body.

Enamel supports the dentin beneath it.   It is really what you see when people see you smile.  So, I needed to find out what causes the enamel to become yellow.

Extrinsic Stains

What I found was that extrinsic stains relate to my personal lifestyle habits, such as not flossing or brushing my teeth regularly and failing to see your dentist twice a year.

So, these were things I could fix easily.

I already was going to the dentist twice a year.  So, that wasn’t my problem.

Could I brush and floss more?  Sure.

I guess my bad habit of putting in extra brushing and flossing just before my dentist visits might not be enough.

Imagine that!

Why is that Clean Air I’m Breathing So Thick?

Smoking cigarettes or cigars and chewing tobacco can also stain my teeth, causing a yellowish stain that can become darker and brown with continued tobacco use. This wasn’t my problem.

But, I thought I’d mention it for those of you that might think you can get away with that tobacco fix without this side effect.

Foods and drinks can also cause this type of stain, such as coffee, wine, tea, soy sauce, berries or curries, just to name some of the most common foods and drinks associated with staining.

I’m a huge tea drinker.  I’m not sure I can give that up.  But, a tip I found was to rinse my mouth out after eating or drinking these types of stain causing foods.

So, I’m giving that a try to see how it helps.

An extrinsic stain occurs when external elements, such as dietary chromogens deposit indirectly or directly within the pellicle layer or on the tooth’s surface.  A chromogen is a substance that contains pigments with the ability to stain teeth by latching onto the enamel.

The pellicle layer sits on top of your enamel.  Proteins form the pellicle layer, resulting in a deposit of organic film.

This is the first step in the development of plaque and it is a normal biological function. It does serve as a protective layer to protect each tooth from the effects of acids.

Intrinsic Stains

I found that intrinsic tooth discoloration is the characteristic where the dentin within a tooth develops a yellow tint or darkening.

Dentin lies below your enamel and protects your nerve. If your enamel weakens or disappears, dentin is a porous structure will result in tooth sensitivity.

I occasionally have tooth sensitivity, so I have to be careful to stay away from products that might be hard on my enamel.

Unlike extrinsic stains, intrinsic stains do not have anything to do with your lifestyle.

Intrinsic stains occur for a variety of reasons.  Your general health and/or your habits to improve your health, link to intrinsic stains.

What Causes Intrinsic Stains

Here is what I found as the leading causes of intrinsic stains:

• Excessive fluoride exposure during childhood
• Use of tetracycline antibiotics in those under eight years old
• Permanent tooth trauma that resulted in internal bleeding
• A mother using tetracycline antibiotics during the last half of the second trimester or at any time during the third trimester
• Trauma to a childhood tooth that caused damage to a developing permanent tooth
• A condition referred to as dentinogenesis imperfecta which causes tooth discoloration

Intrinsic stains may also result from extrinsic stains getting into the dentin of a tooth.

If your enamel cracks or breaks, the enamel damage no longer offers full protection to your dentin.

When this type of staining occurs, it is referred to as an internalized stain.  I’ve been lucky enough to not have any of these afflictions.

Why Are My Teeth Yellow?

What I found while researching, is that yellow teeth can simply be something you are born with.

Some people naturally have enamel that is bright white while other people have enamel that has a naturally yellow hue.

Ultimately, the natural color of your teeth comes down to genetics.

Just like the color of your skin, hair and eyes, DNA invluences the natural color of your teeth.

If genetics is responsible for yellow teeth, this will be apparent during childhood.

The natural teeth are the same color with both childhood teeth and the permanent teeth that come in after these teeth fall out.

Each Part of Your Tooth Matters

This is partially related to the thickness of your enamel.

Those with thin enamel have more dentin shining through and dentin is naturally yellowish in color.

Aging can also cause tooth yellowing and it is common for teeth to take on a more yellow hue as the decades pass.

Over time, dentin naturally yellows and the enamel thins, allowing more of the yellowed dentin to be visible.

Intrinsic and extrinsic stains start to build up and this further darkens the teeth.

If any pulp – the part of a tooth comprised of soft tissue and containing the blood vessels and nerves – damage occurs during your lifetime as a result of injuries to the teeth, this too can contribute to age-related tooth yellowing.

Whitening Yellow and Discolored Teeth

Extrinsic stains are far easier to take care of in most cases and some intrinsic stains can’t be lightened with whitening treatments that try work towards how to get rid of yellow teeth.

For extrinsic stains, a good whitening toothpaste can help to brighten your teeth and remove some of the more minor surface stains.

If you want even brighter teeth, dental bleaching is an option and this will work for most people. The average dental whitening treatment takes about two hours.  It typically occurs in a dentist’s office.

Other options include at-home whitening kits your dentist makes, DIY at home whitening, over-the-counter teeth whitening strips and natural teeth whiteners such as baking soda.

A Home DIY Option

This video provides information on using baking soda as one way for how to get rid of yellow teeth:

Intrinsic stains are far more stubborn than extrinsic stains.

To get optimal results, it is better to properly identify the exact cause of your intrinsic staining.  For intrinsic stains that dont’ respond to traditional whitening techniques, veneers and bonding can help to cover up the discoloration.

These options will not change the true color of your teeth.  But, they will present a great white smile with is usually what you’re wanting.

Yellow teeth are a very common problem.

So, don’t feel bad if you are battling this just like I’ve been battling it.  Most people are able to use some of the methods on this website to combat yellow teeth.

I have been able to make significant progress.

The causes of tooth yellowing ultimately affect the different whitening options available.

So, make sure you know the underlying cause of your yellowing teeth.  This way you can use a treatment that will provide the best results.  Hopefully, you now have the tools for how to get rid of yellow teeth.

Related Posts:

1. Best Way to Whiten Teeth at Home Fast
2. Do Teeth Whitening Strips Work?