We have all seen movie stars smiling at us with shining white teeth from the covers of magazines. It is important to remember that most of these stars have had their pictures altered to make their teeth look extra white. You might not be able to get your teeth as dazzling as you would like but it is possible to brighten your smile. First you need to know what has caused the discoloration of your teeth so what causes yellow teeth?
Most of us enjoy a little something that we know is bad for us. Unfortunately things like red wine, coffee, tea, cola and berries and sugary food are the very things that can stain our teeth and turn them yellow. Too much sugar erodes the enamel on your teeth making them more susceptible to staining.
Children’s teeth are not developed until they are eight. If they are given certain antibiotics such as Doxycycline and Tetracycline before this development is complete they will be prone to yellowing of the teeth. If you use mouth wash check if they contain chlorhexidine as this can also cause discoloration.
If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the head and neck the least of your worries is probably getting yellow teeth, but it is a fact that this is one off the possible side effects of this treatment.
It is one of the facts of life that as you get older parts of your body stop working as well, and your teeth are no exception. As you get older your tooth enamel begins to wear away, revealing the naturally yellow dentine beneath. Genetics also plays a part in determining how yellow your teeth might be.
There are a number of effective treatments to whiten your teeth but the treatment must be appropriate to the cause. For example if your tooth is yellow due to damage you must consult your dentist to get the tooth fixed before you can consider cosmetic whitening. For hereditary, food linked or age related yellowing you might consider veneers or a home whitening kit that can be purchased either from your dentist or a pharmacy.
Simply maintaining a regular and thorough oral hygiene that includes brushing and flossing, especially after eating is the best thing you can do for your teeth. For discoloration due to other factors such as medical treatment or ageing further measures may need to be taken to restore your smile. Your dentist is the best person to ask about appropriate treatments.
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