Causes of Yellow Teeth

Our teeth are composed of 4 different tissues. The enamel, which is the strong protective white covering that prevents the wear and tear of teeth caused due to food and chewing. Dentin provides support to the enamel and is hard and yellow materials that assist in carrying the nerves into the teeth. The pulp sits in the center of our tooth and contains lymph vessels, nerves and blood. This is the part where our tooth receives the required nourishment and further transmits the signals to our brain. The fourth tissue is the cementum that covers the root of our tooth. It keeps the teeth attached to the bones in the jaw.

The primary reason behind the yellowish tint appearing on our tooth is the food that we eat and the beverages we drink. Other factors include our lifestyle habits such as smoking and tobacco. Due to all these factors a layer tends to develop on our tooth resembling a film. Even with regular brushing, the film doesn't disappear completely. Dental insists and tooth whitening toothpastes help in removing the film, but only to come back once again.

Thinning of the enamel is a key concern with aged people having yellow teeth. However, yellowish teeth in youngsters are usually caused due to staining and not from enamel thinning. Staining is likely to happen on the inner side as well as the outer side of the teeth. Sometimes, medications and especially tetracycline drugs can be the leading cause of stains. The outside staining is often caused due to excessive coffee consumption, red wine, other food types and smoking. Foods such as tea, berries and soda containing chromogenic agents also cause staining. Over-use of fluoride also leads to the appearance of white spots on the tooth. While fluoride is known to be good for the teeth but not in heavy amounts.

Today, there are many tooth whitening treatments available including sophisticated laser teeth whitening, Zoom! tooth whitening, Opalescence tooth whitening and other bleaching procedures. With the help of an expert cosmetic dentist you can now easily whiten your teeth in just one session.