Our teeth are a striking window of beauty, and our smile is the first thing that leaves an impression on the people we meet during the day. A natural white smile leaves a good impression that the owner of that smile is a clean person who takes care of himself and pays attention to fine details. Yellowing teeth, by contrast, change the appearance of the smile completely, leaving a poor impression on whoever sees it, so they assume the owner of the smile does not take care of himself or of his personal hygiene.
But does yellowing of the teeth really indicate that a person neglects his hygiene? Or are there other causes that may increase the yellowing of the teeth even when a person keeps his teeth clean?
In this article we look at the causes of yellow teeth and the ways to get rid of them with the best cosmetic dentist in Egypt, and we also look at the complications of neglecting the cleaning of dental tartar.
Causes of yellow teeth
Yellowing of the teeth is a common condition among many people, and this problem may also be widespread among some people who clean their teeth daily with a brush and toothpaste.
The cause behind yellowing of the teeth goes back to several factors, some of them natural or hereditary factors and some of them acquired causes or factors. The following are the most important of these causes:
Smoking
We cannot discuss yellowing of the teeth without mentioning the number one cause of this problem, namely smoking. Smoking in all its forms (shisha – cigars – electronic cigarettes) represents the number one cause of yellowing and staining of the teeth.
Let us give you an example to illustrate the effect of cigarette smoke on the colour of the teeth. Do you know how a water filter works? It relies on water passing through several stages that purify the water of colour and of various impurities, and the first stage of this technology is usually the removal of colour and dirt from the water. Take a look at the part of the filter responsible for this stage and you will find that it has taken on a yellow colour — or a dark brown one if you have not changed that candle for a long time — and that is because this part is the first stage in the filter.
This is exactly what happens with smoking, since the teeth are the first thing that cigarette smoke passes over, and every time you smoke the teeth take on this unwanted yellow colour, especially if the patient has not kept up cleaning his teeth with a brush and toothpaste on a daily basis.
Age-related yellowing
As age advances, the enamel layer covering the teeth begins to wear away, and consequently the dentine beneath this layer shows through, which is dark in colour or highly prone to yellowing.
Food and drinks
If someone tells you that the food you eat or the drinks you regularly drink every day are the cause of your yellow teeth, you will usually not attach much importance to this, since it is not normal to abstain from food or drinks because of their effect on the colour of your teeth!
But the truth is that food and drinks do indeed cause yellowing of the teeth, although this yellowing is temporary, and as soon as you brush your teeth it disappears and your teeth return to their natural colour once again.
In some cases a person may neglect the cleanliness of his teeth for a long period, so that the residues of food and drinks then become an inseparable part of the structure of the teeth, and this yellowing or staining becomes stronger and difficult to remove with a brush and toothpaste.
Certain antibiotics
Some antibiotics have a direct effect on the colour of the teeth, causing them to yellow or to change colour completely from their natural shade; among these antibiotics is (tetracycline).
Increased exposure to fluoride
Excessive exposure to fluoride causes staining of the teeth and turns them a dark or grey colour, and this may happen because the water in some countries contains a great deal of fluoride.
This change usually occurs if the teeth are exposed to this substance during the first 12 years of the child's life.
Root canal filling
When decay reaches the nerve of the tooth or molar, the dentist is then obliged to remove that nerve through root canal filling sessions, and if an artificial crown is not fitted on the tooth from which the nerve was removed, its colour turns yellow as a result of the blood supply not reaching it, since it is a dead tooth.
The hereditary factor
Finally, the patient may have no part in the yellowing of his teeth, since genes play an important role in the yellowing of the teeth: some people are born with yellow teeth, or their teeth have a high tendency to turn yellow.
Ways to treat yellow teeth
Now that we have learned the most important causes of yellow teeth, we mention for you the most important methods that help get rid of this annoying problem and return the teeth to their natural white colour.
Here are the most important of these methods:
- Cleaning the teeth regularly using a brush and toothpaste, no less than twice a day: once before sleeping and once after waking up from sleep.
- Visiting the dentist once every 6 months to check on the condition of the teeth and remove tartar if present, especially as the price of tartar cleaning is not high — along with the necessity of adhering to the advice the dentist prescribes after cleaning the teeth of tartar.
- Fitting a Hollywood smile or dental veneers. This method is considered a definitive solution for getting rid of the problem of yellow teeth, since there are many types of veneers that have the ability to prevent staining and yellowing of the teeth from occurring again, and the price of a Hollywood smile in Egypt is considered affordable for many people, especially at the clinics of Dr. Amr Helmi.
- Using certain types of toothpaste that help whiten the teeth, but under the supervision of a specialist dentist so that they do not damage your enamel layer; and in general do not use these types more than once a week.
