If you suffer from yellow teeth, here are the 5 best ways to help whiten them, plus what you should never do — explained by a leading dentist.
Teeth appear white because of their outer layer, which is called enamel.
Sometimes, it wears down due to aging and other lifestyle habits. Due to that, your teeth’s inner yellowish layer becomes visible.
Yellow teeth decrease your confidence to talk and smile freely.
We will explain here the causes of yellow teeth and top ways to whiten them.
Reasons for Yellow Teeth
Let us first understand what causes yellow teeth. Check out if you identify with any of the following starting points for yellow teeth:
- Acidic and staining food items and beverages. For instance, blueberries, red wine, coffee or tea.
- High sugar and high carbohydrate diet, especially a diet full of simple carbs.
- Smoking or chewing tobacco.
- As a reaction to some medicines and mouthwashes.
- Age – you can’t do much about it!
- Hereditary factors.
- Mouth and dental Injuries.
- Over-intake of fluoride.
- Poor oral hygiene and lack of dental care.
- Chronic dry mouth or lack of saliva.
If you can take care of the dental issues and lifestyle habits mentioned above, you can prevent your teeth from turning yellow.
Top 5 Ways to Whiten Teeth
You might’ve asked people or searched online about how to get rid of yellow teeth. You might’ve also gotten a lot of suggestions and DIY tips for whitening your teeth.
But not all of them are effective. You can check out our list of the five top ways to whiten your teeth.
- Applying Whitening Toothpaste
There are various kinds of whitening toothpaste available. The ingredients help remove stains from your teeth.
The main elements are hydroxyapatite, hydrogen peroxide, active charcoal, silica, calcium carbonate, baking soda, calcium pyrophosphate and other mild abrasives.
Toothpaste enriched with hydroxyapatite can whiten teeth from inside out. All other ingredients merely clear the stains from your teeth.
- Professional Tooth Whitening Treatment
If you ask us what is the best way to whiten teeth, we’ll say it’s a teeth whitening treatment. It is a long-lasting and proven treatment.
A high concentration of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (20%-43%) is applied to your teeth. The solution is painted on multiple times during each session.
Afterward, the solution gel is activated by using polymerization light. You might need to have one or more sessions of 30 to 60 minutes.
- Paste of Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Sometimes, your enamel gets stains due to smoking or chewing tobacco.
A mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can help. You need to mix two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide with one tablespoon of baking soda.
And use this paste as toothpaste or mouthwash. Many studies claim that this mixture is indeed successful in teeth whitening.
- Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil
This approach can only remove some surface stains. But oil pulling is suitable for oral hygiene and stain prevention.
The coconut oil is known to decrease the bacteria in your mouth, making teeth less prone to stains. It also reduces the chances of inflammation in the gums, and gingivitis.
- Juicy Fruits and Vegetables
These fruits and vegetables contain the vitamins needed for healthy teeth.
If you eat salads and fruits after a meal, their fiber will help clear any leftover bits of food in your mouth.
The papain enzyme found in papaya and bromelainenzyme found in pineapples is suitable for stain removal.
Unhealthy Ways of Teeth Whitening
You need to know the unhealthy ways of trying to get whiter teeth.
Make sure you never fall for the idea of trying any of the following methods.
- UV, LED, laser or halogen teeth whitening systems
- Kiosk teeth whitening
- Whitening mouthwash
- Acidic fruits
- Apple cider vinegar
Wrapping Up!
Now you know the five best ways to brighten up your smile.
But it would be best to be watchful of your lifestyle. For instance, don’t smoke or consume tobacco, and you should maintain good oral hygiene, which includes regular dental checkups.
Dr. Isaac runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental communities with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health, recent dental innovations and latest treatment modalities.
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