Why Are Your Teeth Yellow? 3 Probable Causes
Are you sick of looking in the mirror and seeing yellow teeth? It’s not always noticeable, but when you take photos with friends you see the stark difference in smiles. Their teeth like white while yours look like little cubes of cheese. You brush your teeth every day, so you can’t understand why they’re not white.
Well, if you’re guilty of any of the following, it’s probably why your teeth are yellow!
Drinking Tea or Coffee
The tannins in tea and coffee are responsible for most people’s yellow teeth. If you drink multiple cups a day, your teeth will go yellow – but there are ways to prevent this while still enjoying your tea or coffee:
- Drink through a straw so the liquid bypasses your teeth and prevents them from being stained by the tannins
- Rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash 15 minutes after drinking tea or coffee. You need to wait 15 minutes as your teeth will be too “soft” immediately after and this can cause damage to the enamel
Two simple changes to your drinking habits, yet they let you enjoy a morning cup of coffee without worrying about yellow teeth.
Smoking Cigarettes
It comes as no surprise to anyone that smoking cigarettes may cause yellow teeth. This is thanks to all the different chemicals in the tobacco. Specifically, nicotine and tar are the ones that stain your teeth.
There’s a quick solution to this; stop smoking! You know the detrimental effects on your health, so quit while you can. Consider vaping as an alternative to smoking as you wean your way off, though be sure to use vape juice with minimal or no nicotine. Instead of inhaling tobacco, you’ll basically be putting water vapour in your mouth with a few flavourings. We’re not saying it’s perfect for your health, but it’s a good alternative to cigarettes that shouldn’t stain your teeth.
Eating Lots of Chocolate
Again, chocolate contains tannins, which also cause staining. It’s possibly worse than drinking tea as the chocolate can linger on your teeth for longer. If we’re being realistic, this shouldn’t be what causes your yellow teeth! You need to eat a lot of chocolate every day for it to be a problem; most people won’t be doing this.
If you are, then it’s time to cut down on your chocolate consumption. Avoid eating a bar a day and save it for treats now and then. When you do have some, chew gum after. The stickiness of the gum helps to remove any trace elements of chocolate and tannins from your teeth, so they stay as white as possible.
Obviously, you need to brush your teeth regularly – twice a day – to maintain a white smile. It’s also pretty impossible to reverse yellow teeth once they appear. You’ll need to get cosmetic dental treatments to upgrade your smile, though this usually involves simple teeth whitening strips. Once they’ve reached the colour you’re hoping for, you can start taking preventative measures to stop them from turning yellow again.
