Yellow teeth can be a reason for people to feel uneasy or uncomfortable about their smile. It is also preferred for people to have white teeth rather than yellowish one. As such, one might feel a bit pressure to have that movie star smile on us.

But is that really the case? What causes teeth to turn yellow? What does it mean? How do we stop it? All of these questions we will answer them in this article with some help of the dentists in Los Algodones.

What makes yellow teeth happen?

It is usually a form of tooth discoloration. For this reason, it can stem from many reasons, as there are many things that can play a role on it such as diet, smoking and age.

Although usually the stains are on the outside, they can be inside as well. These are known as extrinsic and intrinsic tooth stains.

• Extrinsic are when they are on the surface. This is likely the result of teeth being exposed to dark colored foods such as coffee, wine, cigarette smoke, dark sodas, pasta sauce, and more.
• Intrinsic stains, however, are more tricky as it is the dentin that gets darker. These happen naturally as we grow older, but also from tooth trauma, genetics, and fluorisis.

While we mention that age is related to intrinsic stains, through it also is that our tooth enamel thins over time. This makes the dentin’s color show even more, and as such resemble like yellow teeth even more.

Your tooth enamel is important

This is usually the most common reason why there would be yellow teeth in someone’s smile.

So in order to avoid our tooth enamel being stained, we have to take care of it. This is an important part as we want it to be strong and not to thin from plaque and tartar.

So usually we have to pay attention to three things:

• Plaque and food removal. Bacteria in plaque feeds off of food remnants. This eats away our tooth enamel slowly through time and can harden into tartar, which only a professional dentists can remove.
• Keeping an eye out for staining foods. Knowing what can stain your teeth, consuming it in moderation and taking preventive steps can lower and reverse the damage. This while also maintaining a healthy diet! Your body needs its nutrients!
• Good oral practices. Brushing, flossing and rinsing your mouth is very important! It is crucial to follow these steps like rituals every day. This way you are helping your tooth enamel get the minerals it loses through use and time, so you can boast a healthy, pearly smile!

Popular procedures for people with yellow teeth

There are treatments and procedures aimed at achieving some lighter shades on teeth.

One of the most popular ones is teeth whitening. Here the dentist uses either a gel that is highly abrasive or a laser to remove all the surface stains. Of course, this is aimed at extrinsic stains, so several tests are done to the patient in order to know if the treatment is going to be effective.

Another excellent option is the veneers. These are thin shells that are glued onto your teeth and that last for ten years! This procedure not only can give you the shade of white that you want, but can also make your smile toothier if that’s what you desire. For this a small part of the tooth enamel is polished off to make room for the veneers, then they are applied with a very strong glue.

If you are interested in the cheap procedures and treatments, we welcome you to check our price list. Our crew is composed by very experienced dentists here in Los Algodones! Not only is it not difficult at all to get here, they are also able to speak English. If you have any question, do not hesitate to ask.