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Yellow Teeth & Teeth Discoloration

Your smile should accentuate your personality. A discolored smile can have the opposite effect, forcing you to hide your smile and robbing you of your confidence. Fortunately, restoring your smile’s brilliance is easier than ever at Habersham Dental.

Learn more about what causes your teeth to turn yellow and our options for treating stained teeth.

What is Teeth Discoloration?

Yellow teeth — sometimes known as tooth discoloration — happen when your teeth lose their natural brightness. Many circumstances can cause this change, including your food choice and lifestyle.

Your teeth have enamel that protects them from damage. Enamel gives teeth their signature white color. This thin outer covering is semi-transparent and runs from the gum line to the tooth’s crown. Underneath the enamel is dentin, a hard tissue that is a pale yellow. The yellow dentin becomes more prominent in your smile as the enamel wears away.

Discolored teeth may lose their luster and develop a shade of dark yellow. Others may only have dark or off-white patches in some regions of the tooth.

What Causes Yellow Teeth?

Have you ever heard the expression you are what you eat?

For many people, diet causes yellow teeth — although it is not the only contributor to yellow teeth. Other factors can include environment, age, and even your medication.

Diet and lifestyle generally factor heavily into your oral health. We refer to these causes as extrinsic discoloration. Activities that cause extrinsic dislocation include:

  • Drinking beverages with dark pigments — like coffee, wine, cola, and dark-colored juice
  • Poor dental hygiene
  • Certain medications like antibiotics, antihypertensives, antipsychotics, and antihistamines
  • Tobacco use

Similarly, yellow teeth can be caused by damage to the internal tooth structure. We refer to these as intrinsic causes. Examples of intrinsic teeth yellowing include:

  • Chipped teeth, causing the dentin beneath the surface of the enamel to darken and discolor.
  • Age of patient
  • Genetics
  • Trauma or high-impact collisions
  • An overabundance of fluoride as a child

How to Treat Yellow Teeth?

Although you can’t replenish damaged tooth enamel, there are treatment options for restoring stained teeth. Certain mouthwashes and toothpaste and mouth can contribute to the remineralization process. Taking precautions while eating and drinking can help avoid any worsening effects.

Professional teeth whitening is one of the best ways to brighten your smile. While there are DIY and over-the-counter options, these do not match the power of a professional in-office whitening.

We use innovative technology that boosts the shade of your smile up to 8 shades in less than 45 minutes. These quick and painless treatments use patented technology to lighten the appearance of tooth enamel and dentin.

Your smile is a statement about you. You want that statement to make the best impression possible. Learn more about your tooth whitening options by scheduling an appointment.

We Create 😄 Smiles in Savannah!

Contact Us For Expert Yellow Teeth Treatment in Savannah!

Understanding what makes teeth yellow is at the core of preventing tooth discoloration. While many factors contribute to discoloration, taking care of your smile is best for your health. 

Don’t let yellow teeth make you feel self-conscious. Schedule an appointment to rediscover the power of your smile in less time than it takes to walk from Forsyth Park to River Street.