Are you embarrassed by the yellow color of your teeth? Good news, our Shelby Township cosmetic dentists can help! You can also do a few things in your personal life to prevent further staining or decay.
Here’s what you need to know about tooth discoloration and what you can do to brighten your smile.
Why Do I Have Yellow Teeth?
Teeth turn yellow for a wide number of reasons. Lots of foods and drinks either stain your teeth or erode your enamel which over time exposes the layer underneath called dentin.
Dentin is the softer layer of tissue underneath your hard enamel. It’s more yellow in appearance and works to protect the nerves located inside your tooth’s inner pulp. Its color has a large impact on your tooth’s appearance as thanks to the transparency of enamel, is how dentin shows.
Enamel wears down naturally over the course of your life and your body doesn’t replace it once it’s gone. While taste buds love high sugar and high acidity foods, your teeth do not. Thankfully rinsing your mouth out with water or mouthwash helps lessen their effect.
Be Mindful of Acidic or Staining Foods and Drinks
The items listed below are some of the biggest either because they tend to stain or break down your enamel. While you can avoid or even minimize your intake of those high sugar high acid foods, the natural sugars from fruits, vegetables, sauces, dressings, etc. will slowly work against your enamel.
- – Coffee
- – Juices (especially citrus ones)
- – Vinaigrettes
- – High sugar drinks/snacks
- – Alcohol
- – Red wine
- – Tea
It’s important to remember that lifestyle habits like smoking can also contribute to the color of your teeth. Our dentists recommend quitting smoking and stopping your use of any tobacco products not just for your oral health, but your overall health.
What You Can Do to Improve Your Smile
The good news is there’s plenty of things you can do to protect your teeth. Brushing at least twice a day, flossing daily, and bi-annual dental visits all work to improve your dental health and fight tooth decay.
Related Post: How to Practice Good Dental Hygiene
One thing you can do to help prevent further yellowing is to not rinse your mouth out when you’re done brushing. Rinsing removes a good amount of the fluoride from your toothpaste. Simply spitting out the excess will help keep more fluoride on to fight against acid and bacteria.
Using a is another great dental hygiene habit, whether you’re maintaining it or just now starting, your teeth are sure to thank you. The ideal time to use it is half an hour to an hour after brushing your teeth. After eating a meal or some snacks is also a great time to rinse out with mouthwash to prevent plaque build up.
Flossing is another tool to keep your mouth healthy and happy. One of the biggest questions people often have is “should I floss before or after I brush my teeth?” And the answer is: either is fine!
Flossing before you brush helps get those hard-to-reach places that your toothbrush can miss by dislodging any food that may be stuck between your teeth. Flossing after you brush can help spread the fluoride around and get anything your toothbrush may have missed.
If you floss beforehand, you may want to rinse your mouth out to remove any plaque or food particles; however, you don’t want to rinse if you floss after brushing to keep the fluoride from your toothpaste on your teeth.
Lastly, ask our cosmetic dentists about professional teeth whitening. We can walk you through the process and explain every detail so you’re aware of what to expect. If your discoloration is severe, we can also help you look into the possibility of veneers.
Related Post: The Value of Professional Teeth Whitening
Ready for an Appointment?
Our cosmetic dentists in Shelby Charter Township, MI, want you to have a smile you can be proud of. To request an appointment, call the dental office of Jeffrey T. Baker DDS PC today at (586) 992-9222.
This blog post has been updated.
