Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?
The perfect smile includes white teeth all lined up in a perfect row, or at least that’s what people say. And a perfect smile is more than just cosmetic: straight white teeth are healthy teeth and a good sign that you take care of your body.
However, the fact is that human teeth aren’t naturally white. They’re an off-white a few shades off, a sort of yellowish-white that never seems to get to that perfect pure white shade without plenty of tooth whitener. So what’s the deal with your tooth color? What keeps them from being white?
Age
The biggest reason why teeth are never quite white is that tooth enamel is slightly translucent. That means you can see a little of what’s behind them, and in the case of enamel, that means the dentin that sits underneath the enamel. Dentin is similar to bone in how it’s built, and it sits between the solid enamel on the outside and the living pulp on the inside. It also happens to be yellow, and it becomes more yellow as time goes on.
No matter how well you care for your teeth, the enamel will slowly wear down as bacteria dissolve it and turn it into plaque and tartar. Since the dentin is visible underneath the enamel, your teeth will slowly turn yellow with age as the layer of enamel grows thinner.
Stains
Certain foods can stain your teeth or make it easier for other foods to stain them. Tannins and acids are particularly good at this, and so the usual suspects include coffee, tea, and dark wines. Dark sodas like root beer and colas also have enough dyes and acids to stain teeth. Fortunately, you have to drink a lot of these liquids to really change the color of your teeth. Smoking is another way to stain your teeth, especially if you smoke a lot.
The best way to deal with stains is to make sure the chemicals that cause them don’t stick around in your mouth. A small cup of water after a glass of wine will cleanse your palette and wash out stain-causing chemicals at the same time.
Damage And Decay
A tooth hit hard enough can lead to internal bleeding, and this bleeding can permanently stain the dentin layer. Tooth decay is anything but pretty, and while it prefers to attack your molars, cavities and tooth decay can affect your front teeth, too.
Your teeth may tend to be more of a yellow-white than true white, but darker shades can be bad news. While you might not want or need teeth whitening products, you should at least do what you can to keep them from turning brown.