What Causes Teeth to Yellow?
Many people don’t realize that tooth enamel is very porous, which means it’s relatively easy for stains to penetrate the surface. When this happens, it can stain your teeth yellow, especially if you’re ingesting dark-colored foods and drinks. Plus, if you eat acidic foods, this will weaken the enamel, which makes your teeth even more vulnerable than before. The same is true with hot foods and drinks because heat can also weaken enamel.
What Causes Teeth Yellowing? Foods That Cause Teeth Yellowing
There are a variety of foods that can damage or harm your teeth, but for today’s discussion, we’re going to focus on the ones that can turn them yellow. Although we can’t list them all, here are some of the most common teeth-staining foods:
- Tomato/pasta sauce
- Curry
- Balsamic vinegar
- Berries
- Food coloring
- Colored candy
- Popsicles
- Soy sauce
- Beets
Drinks That Cause Teeth Yellowing
Even though beverages don’t spend a lot of time in your mouth, they leave behind particles that can cause staining. Again, we can’t list every single type of beverage that may stain your teeth, but these are some of the most common:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Sports Drinks
- Soda
- Wine (red & white)
- Fruit juices
- Energy drinks
What Causes Teeth Yellowing? Tips to Prevent Teeth Yellowing/Staining
The good news is that you can avoid staining your teeth by following some simple oral health guidelines.
Here are some of the precautions you can take to protect your teeth:
Limit Certain Foods/Drinks
The easiest tip to glean from today’s discussion is that limiting the foods and drinks that are listed here will go a long way to avoiding teeth yellowing. This doesn’t mean that you must give up all of your favorites. It simply means that you should limit how often you ingest them, along with following other oral health strategies.
Avoid Smoking
There are so many reasons for you to avoid smoking that people have written entire books on the subject. Smoking is not only bad for your lungs, but it’s also bad for your teeth. If you’re a smoker, it’s either time to quit or drastically reduce your usage. Your body and teeth will thank you for it.
Use Straws
The reason drinks are able to stain and yellow your teeth is because the acids and other staining properties have time to sit on your teeth. You can reduce this problem by using straws because the liquid won’t come into contact with your teeth as often. Just remember that if you want to be environmentally friendly, it’s best that you use paper or reusable straws.
Brush Your Teeth After Meals
As a general rule, you only need to brush your teeth twice per day to keep them clean. However, if you find yourself eating or drinking a lot of staining foods and beverages, it’s a good idea to brush after ingesting each meal. This will remove the teeth-staining ingredients that can cause damage to your teeth and gums.
Drink Water
Everyone knows water is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s often forgotten, however, that drinking water can also improve your dental health. If you’re not able to brush your teeth after eating or drinking something that might stain your teeth, drinking water will wash away some of the acids and other substances.
Whiten Your Teeth
If your teeth become yellow because you’ve eaten or had too many staining drinks, too many of the wrong foods and didn’t take care of your teeth afterwards, don’t panic. Teeth-whitening treatments offer a wonderful way to get your smile back to its original, bright self. Just be sure that you’re not using teeth whitening as an excuse not to brush and floss.
Visit the Dentist
To help ensure your teeth stay as bright and healthy as possible, visit your dentist at least twice per year. During that time, make sure that you schedule a cleaning as well. If your dentist recommends it, you may also periodically need a deep clean to improve your oral health.
Contact Dr. Ferullo to Learn More About What Causes Teeth Yellowing
The St. Petersburg dentist office of Dr. Ferullo can assist you with teeth whitening and other dental procedures to get your teeth and gums looking and feeling great again. If you have any questions about teeth yellowing or would like to set up an appointment, call our office at (727) 822-8101 today.
