Yellow is usually considered a happy color. For instance, sunshine, buttercups, and daffodils all put smiles on most faces. But when it comes to your teeth, yellow is a very unwelcome colour.

Unfortunately, even people who are diligent about their dental health can find themselves with some tooth discoloration.

At Main Beach Dental we have seen all the possible causes of yellow teeth, and we also have all the best treatments to make your smile whiter, brighter, and more attractive.

What Causes the Yellow?

Here are some typical causes of teeth yellowing:

• Ageing. As we age, our teeth lose their natural coating (enamel), causing gradual discoloration. As the enamel wears down, the natural yellow color of the dentin is revealed. In addiction, your teeth accumulate tartar as you age, which contributes to turning your teeth yellow.
• Certain drinks like tea and coffee. Coffee, soda, tea, alcohol, wine and other acidic drinks are among the most common reasons teeth turn to yellow. The acid and tannins in these drinks are the culprit. Although you probably cannot avoid drinking these beverages entirely, limiting your intake can definitely lessen the possibility of discoloration. Also, though it may seem odd, drinking staining beverages with a straw can reduce their staining effects.
• Tobacco. The nicotine and tar in tobacco are what causes teeth yellowing. Another component of tobacco that yellows the teeth is tar. When it accumulates on the oral cavity, it contributes to the yellowing of your teeth.
• Tooth damage. When your teeth decay because of damages such as breaking and cracking, the pulp tissue of your teeth turns to yellow.
• Certain medicines. Certain medications like doxycycline can cause your teeth to yellow. These drugs can affect the structure of your teeth. Other medications such as chlorhexidine and other chemotherapy drugs can also cause teeth yellowing. If you are on any medications, or change them, you should alert your dentist.
• Excessive fluoride. Fluorosis results from the excessive consumption of fluoride especially at the time when teeth are still forming.
• Genetics. Genetics play a major role in the appearance of your teeth. The enamel, the outer layer of your teeth, is what makes your teeth appear white. The thicker the enamel, the whiter your teeth appear. The layer under the enamel is the dentin, which is naturally yellow in color. When you have a thin enamel, your dentin is more visible, which means that your teeth will appear more yellow.

Treating Yellowed Teeth

Want a brighter smile? When respect to tooth-whitening, you have two primary options: in-office-based teeth bleaching, or at-home care.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each option, but before you try at-home tooth-bleaching kits, be certain to talk to your Main Beach dentist. Not everyone sees good results from at-home tooth-whitening. Bleaching will not whiten porcelain crowns or composite tooth-coloured bondings. In fact, in some cases at-home or DIY tooth whitening can lead to unexpected and even damaging effects on your teeth and gums!

Here at Main Beach Dental, we can perform a wide range of dental treatments to restore the brightness of your pearly whites. This includes the use of the highly recommended Zoom! Teeth Whitening System. This is a cutting-edge and highly effective in-chair teeth bleaching process that significantly whitens your teeth in as little as 2 hours!

The process is ensured safe for your teeth and gums. Zoom! Teeth Whitening involves the use of a special kind of light to activate the full whitening potential of the teeth whitening solution in order to eliminate the spots and stains in your smile. Using this teeth whitening system, your teeth can be whitened to up to 8 shades in a very minimal amount of time.

If your stains are deep in your teeth, or “intrinsic” stains, bleaching is not enough to whiten them and other treatments become better options.

Porcelain Veneers are very thin sheets of ceramics. Using composite resin, these ceramic sheets are bonded to the front surface of your teeth. Porcelain veneers are intended to match the colour and contour of your natural teeth. They easily address all your cosmetic dental concerns and thus, effectively improve the appearance of your teeth and your smile. This has made Porcelain Veneers a very popular dental treatment for people who want smile makeovers. In addition, the veneers themselves are very difficult to stain, so they stay white and shiny for their entire lifespans.

Dental Care at Main Beach Dental

At Main Beach Dental your oral health is important to us. We provide gentle, expert care for all conditions and work to prevent disease, decay, and too many dentist appointments in the future. Together, we can ensure your dental health and restore your teeth to a white and shiny state!

Call us for information on (07) 5503 1177 to claim your FREE Dental Consultation for Smile Make-over and analysis of your smile or book your appointment online.