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Why Are My Teeth Yellow Even Though I Have Good Dental Hygiene?

Having yellow teeth can be embarrassing, but doesn’t necessarily mean that your teeth are unclean or unhealthy. Rather than worrying about your dental cleaning routine, you should instead focus on the products that you eat, drink and smoke. By making some changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can prevent stains from building up on your teeth.

Smoking causes yellow stains

Smoking is bad for your oral health in many ways, including causing gum disease and raising the risk of mouth cancer. The most obvious effect of smoking on your mouth is a gradual yellowing of the teeth. Although whitening treatments can remove or at least reduce these yellow stains, you will need to quit smoking in order to prevent the staining from coming back again after the treatment.

 

Watch out for red wine, coffee and tea

Do you enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner? Or do you typically follow meals with a steaming cup of black coffee or tea? These everyday habits could be the reason why your teeth are no longer as white as they once were. Tea, coffee and red wine all contain chemicals called tannins, which cause stains to form on the surfaces of teeth.

 

Is your enamel wearing thin?

Thin enamel is one possible cause of yellow teeth. Certain illnesses and medications can cause enamel to become thinner than it should be. Acids in foods and drinks can also erode enamel, particularly the highly corrosive acids in cola and other soft drinks.

 

Hygiene might not be the culprit, but it is important

Cleaning and flossing your teeth is not always enough to keep them perfectly white, but you should still be vigilant about dental hygiene. Keeping teeth clean is the best way to prevent bacteria from growing in the mouth and attacking the teeth to cause cavities and decay.

 

Your dentist can help

Your dentist can offer treatments to restore the whiteness of your teeth, as well as giving advice about how to prevent the yellow colour from returning. Whitening treatments are very safe when they are carried out by a qualified cosmetic dentist, and they are suitable for most people. Stop hiding your smile and book an appointment to fix the discolouration of your teeth.