I brush my teeth regularly, so why are they still yellow?
Even though ‘whiter teeth’ is often included as one of the benefits of regularly and thoroughly brushing your teeth, some people with yellow teeth won’t see improvements, even when they brush twice a day. In this blog, we’ll take you through the reasons why some people won’t ever be able to brush away the yellow, and let you know what Naenae Dental Clinic can do to help.
External and internal stains
In most cases, the common cause for tooth discolouration is external staining as a result of drinking coffee, tea, or wine, or from smoking and other tobacco use. Coffee, tea and wine are all very high in chromogens, which all stick to our teeth and will produce noticeable stains, while nicotine mixed with oxygen produces a yellow result that settles into tooth enamel, turning it yellow or brown over time. These external stains cannot be removed simply by brushing, and are one of the most common causes of tooth discolouration.
On the other hand, if you’ve suffered trauma or injury to your teeth, you might be left with an internal stain that can’t be improved or removed by brushing. Internal stains normally result in a darker discolouration than the typical yellow stain caused by a beverage or nicotine. These stains are caused by bruising in the tooth and can result in a dark or grey tooth.
Habits and brushing
If your brushing habits are not up to scratch, this can make any stains or developing yellow teeth worse. Brushing twice a day is a minimum, but you have to make sure that you’re cleaning all your teeth to avoid issues. Using dental floss will also make sure that you reach the parts of your teeth that would otherwise go unattended and might be at greater risk.
Be careful however, as brushing your teeth too harshly means you run the risk of eroding away your own enamel, which will reveal more of the dentin layer of your teeth and lead to discolouration. Soft tooth brushes are always recommended rather than medium or hard.
Ageing, genetics and health
It’s also entirely possible that, as you age, your enamel will slowly wear away and leave you with yellow teeth, even if you’ve kept up a healthy brushing regime. This can be exacerbated by the simple fact that, based on our genetics, some of us are born with an extremely thick layer of enamel, and some of us naturally have a very thin layer.
Your overall health is also a factor in determining the colour of your teeth – in particular, issues such as nutritional deficiencies and treatments for cancer are likely to render your teeth yellow, regardless of your brushing and care.
Get whiter teeth today!
If you’re looking for an expert provider of cosmetic dentistry that offers the high-quality teeth whitening Wellington needs, Naenae Dental Clinic is an experienced and trusted dentist Wellington residents can rely on.
For any external stains on teeth it is recommended you see a dental hygienist for a thorough clean and polish. Internal stains can be a little more stubborn and can be treated by your dentist with a variety of different whitening methods. For quality teeth whitening services and all their other regular dental needs, contact our clinic today or come down to see us at 9 Hillary Court in Naenae!