Many underestimate the importance of proper oral healthcare, considering that flossing and brushing your teeth can prevent life-threatening conditions. There are, of course, other reasons why people try to keep their teeth clean.
Your eyes and smile are the first two things people notice when they meet you for the first time. So, it’s considered a good idea to keep those pearly whites clean.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why are my teeth yellow?” consider reading about a few yellow tooth causes brought forward by the Janz Family Dental office in Edmonton.
WHAT CAUSES YELLOW TEETH
Yellow teeth can stand out quite a bit. Sadly, there are a ton of yellow teeth causes to keep an eye out for. This includes drinking too much coffee, aging, dietary problems, and certain diseases. The list doesn’t end there, though.
In fact, the most common causes of yellow teeth involve smoking, grinding, and certain types of medication. When following the Janz Family Dental best practices for oral health isn’t enough, you can visit our dentist in West Edmonton for solutions, but here’s a look at those three causes first.
Smoking
Cigarettes and cigars contain many dangerous chemicals that can prevent a healthy smile. Not all of them, though, cause yellow teeth. The biggest culprit here is nicotine. Reducing or eliminating nicotine use will drastically improve your fight against decay and discoloration.
Nicotine adheres to the enamel, or outer layer, of your teeth. It slowly accumulates inside the tubules on the surface over time. It can be extremely tough to reverse this discoloration. Janz Family Dental strongly recommends dropping the habit when possible.
Grinding
Grinding, also known as Bruxism, involves clenching and moving your jaw while your upper and lower teeth are in contact. This can be from side to side or forward and backward. Either way, this action slowly deteriorates the enamel on your teeth.
In this case, though, the yellow isn’t caused by a discoloration. Instead, it erodes the enamel and reveals the dentin below it. Dentin is dull yellowish, and grinding will usually expose it on the outer side of front teeth and the top of crowns in molars.
Medication
Janz Family Dental sees medication as the third most common cause of yellow teeth. This can vary greatly, of course, depending on what kind of medication a patient is taking. Chemotherapy and radiation significantly impact and alter the chemical reactions in the body, producing yellow teeth.
Some antibiotics can cause brown and yellow stains on teeth from a young age. Pregnant mothers that take tetracycline can alter the formation of a fetus’ teeth, forming brown or yellow horizontal stripes across their entire smile.
YELLOW TEETH CAUSES
While yellow teeth can be pretty embarrassing, they’re often signs of other serious oral health problems. At Janz Family Dental, you can get a check-up to be safe. They offer services like hygiene therapy and cosmetic dentistry to get that smile in tip-top shape. Schedule a visit or consultation with Janz Family Dental to get started on your journey to an amazing smile! We’re more than happy to guide you through the process from start to finish!
