Have you noticed that your teeth aren’t as white as they used to be? In group photos with your friends, you can’t stop staring at your not-so-white teeth. You’re going to the dentist, and every time they tell you that your teeth are yellowing. Why is this happening to you? Here are four common reasons why your teeth might be yellowing.
Your Diet
What you eat can actually have a huge impact on your teeth, and not just their health. There are certain foods that can cause discoloration in your teeth. Things like coffee, red wine, soda, and even certain fruits and vegetables can yellow your teeth. Tobacco products can darken your teeth over time as well.
Poor Hygiene
This one might be obvious, but not taking proper care of your teeth can cause them to yellow. If you are not flossing, brushing, and rinsing on a regular basis, you’re putting yourself at risk for yellow teeth. This has a lot to do with your diet as well, because the staining foods you are consuming are not being cleaned off of your teeth.
Illness or Disease
This one is less common, but it happens. There are illnesses and diseases out there that can cause decay of tooth enamel and dentin, which is the underlying material of enamel. Web MD says, “head and neck radiation and chemotherapy can cause teeth discoloration. In addition, certain infections in pregnant mothers can cause tooth discoloration in the infant by affecting enamel development.”
Medication
There are several different types of medications that can cause tooth discoloration. Antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline, antihistamines like Benadryl, and antipsychotic medications can all stain your teeth. Even mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride can cause teeth to yellow.
What do you do about yellowing teeth? Going to the dentist for teeth whitening is the best solution. In fact, 82.5% of patients who got their teeth whitened at the dentist said they had a noticeable difference. If you feel like your teeth aren’t as white as you want them to be, visit your family dentist today to talk about getting your teeth whitened.
