Let’s face it, we all want our teeths to have that white and bright color just like how they are displayed on social media and television. This is primarily because yellow teeth somehow depreciates our confidence and self-esteem. Contrary to popular belief, having yellow teeth is not always an indication that your teeth are not at their best or that you are not maintaining them properly. But of course, we still want to eliminate that yellow color to make way for a brighter and whiter smile.
While the yellowing of the teeth is not always the same as having poor health or hygiene, there are a lot of factors that can cause yellowing of teeth. Here are the top 5 causes of teeth discoloration:
Smoking
When they said smoking is bad, they really meant it because it is so unhealthy that it’s not just our lungs, heart or skin that receives a negative impact from smoking. Our teeth are also susceptible to the bad effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Verily, smoking extends its unhealthiness from our breath to the appearance of our teeth. Cigarettes and tobacco products contain nicotine, which is responsible for the yellowing, and tar, the one responsible for the brown stains, penetrate our teeth and cause the discoloration.
Acidic Beverages
Drinking acidic beverages can also lead to yellow discoloration of the teeth especially if done on a daily basis. This is because the acidity of the beverages can weaken the enamel of your teeth and the beverages’ dark color stains the teeth. Acidic beverages also include tea and coffee.
Acidic Food
Since acidic beverages can cause discoloration, the same goes for food. Generally, unhealthy foods can affect your teeth’s health and make them susceptible to discoloration. However, eating certain types of food can lead to further damage and discoloration. These foods include processed food and fruits that are highly acidic and sugary.
Aging
While there are factors that are easily avoided and addressed, there is also one cause that is difficult to avoid. Aging is inevitable and it is one of the most common causes of discoloration of teeth. While discoloration is common to people in their late 20s or 30s, lifestyle factors such as those mentioned above can hasten the onset of discoloration.
Plaque
The most common culprit of discoloration is bacterial deposits. Plaque normally comes from bacteria from your mouth that mixes with starchy or sugary foods. These plaque then stick on your teeth and harden into tartar which causes discoloration and deterioration of the teeth. Plaque and tartar are very hard to eliminate if proper hygiene is not practiced. More often than not, these two leads not only with discoloration of teeth but also oral complications.
While combating discoloration by changing your lifestyle and diet is plausible, it is still difficult to maintain yellow teeth with all the food consumption and aging factor. Luckily, there are ways to properly combat discoloration of the teeth. One of them is getting whitening treatments that doesn’t just make your teeth whiter but also makes your teeth healthier and stronger so as to help you sustain the white teeth and avoid the discoloration.
