yellow teeth coffee stain

Yellow Teeth can affect your appearance and can make you want to smile less often. It can impact your self-confidence, particularly when models and actors flash their white teeth on the cover of magazines. Why do teeth stain and turn yellow? And how does one prevent it?

The Causes of Yellow Teeth

Foods and Drinks. Certain foods and drinks can cause your teeth to turn yellow. This includes:

  • drinks such as coffee, black tea, soda, and red wine
  • sugary sweets (hard candies and vividly-colored sweets)
  • brightly-colored fruits & vegetables (blueberries, pomegranates, and beets)  
  • fruit juices
  • condiments and sauces (ketchup, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce)

Acids in Specific Foods and Drinks can cause the erosion of the white enamel coating of your teeth.

Smoking. Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that cause the yellowing of your teeth. The smoke fills your mouth and sticks to your teeth.

Age. As a natural process, teeth stain with age. The enamel wears down; and when it’s depleted, it becomes clear and diaphanous. Then the dentin (the layer of the tooth beneath) starts to show its yellow tone. So, the longer you have your teeth, the more yellow they will become.

How to Prevent Yellow Teeth

  • Stay away from specific foods and drinks. Minimize your intake of these foods and drinks as much as possible.
  • Use a straw. Dark colored drinks will pass your teeth when you drink them through a straw, lessening your chances for stains.
  • Drink water. Make sure to drink water after consuming tooth-staining food or drink. Swirl the water around your mouth to help eliminate the acids or staining to reduce discoloration of your teeth.
  • Practice proper dental hygiene. Brush teeth properly, floss and have regular dental cleanings. This will keep your teeth healthy for a long time. Proper dental hygiene habits should be developed at a young age to minimize dental problems.
  • Teeth whitening. Teeth whitening will greatly improve the yellowing and staining of your teeth. Although there are tooth whitening products sold over the counter, consulting a dentist is the best solution to solve the problem of stained teeth.

Visit Voyles Family Dental or call 614-876-1241 and set up an appointment now!