Why Are My Teeth Yellow When I Brush Them Every Day?

Dealing with discolored teeth is a common issue for almost everyone. Although daily brushing is a great way to ensure you maintain good oral hygiene, it doesn’t always guarantee a whiter smile. Whether due to dietary reasons, tooth enamel erosion, or even simple aging of the teeth, there’s a wide variety of reasons why you can have healthy teeth with a yellow appearance.

Intrinsic Problems vs. Extrinsic Stains

Yellow teeth can be caused by both intrinsic staining that lies within the tooth or extrinsic stains that occur from outside influences. Neither of these is necessarily worse than the other, they are just different, with each type even having different causes leading to yellow teeth.

Inside the tooth, problems that lead to tooth discoloration lie within the enamel of the tooth. In some more extreme cases, this could mean something like enamel hypoplasia, where the enamel of the tooth isn’t fully developed or developed at all. Another example of an intrinsic cause of yellow teeth is dental fluorosis. This is caused by ingesting too much fluoride over a long period of time. This can often happen with younger children who may swallow toothpaste, leading to minor cases of fluorosis and discoloration because of it.

Extrinsic sources that lead to tooth discoloration include dark drinks such as coffee, tea, cola, or wine. Tobacco products can also stain the tooth enamel, leading to more yellow, stained teeth. Stains from extrinsic sources may not be as permanent as intrinsic stains, but they will still not respond to regular brushing. If you want a brighter smile, then you may have to deal with these kinds of stains with a professional, as even over-the-counter teeth whitening products might not do the job for these deep-set stains.

Improper vs. Proper Brushing Habits

Although you may give your teeth regular brushing, if that brushing is done with improper technique, it could still lead to discoloration over time. Although you need to brush them everyday, your teeth still face discoloration when that brushing doesn’t reach each area it needs to or isn’t done for as long as it should be.

To avoid yellow teeth, follow a good oral hygiene routine:

  1. Brush the teeth gently with slow, circular or back-and-forth motions
  2. Time your brushing to ensure you brush for a full two minutes
  3. Brush twice a day to ensure removal of any plaque buildup throughout the day
  4. Carefully brush harder-to-reach areas for your unique smile
  5. Avoid aggressive brushing that could do more harm than good
  6. Visit your dentist for preventative care!

By following these recommendations, you can better maintain tooth health, which in turn will provide you with whiter teeth in the long run. Eventually, things like red wine or coffee might stain your teeth over time, but practicing good oral hygiene can better keep your teeth healthy while also helping to avoid both age-related tooth discoloration and discoloration caused by extrinsic sources. Simply follow instructions to brush correctly, and you can better avoid poor hygiene for your teeth while working to remove stains on a daily basis!

Staining Foods and Drink Staining

Another common reason tooth discoloration occurs comes from staining foods and drinks. Even if you avoid poor oral hygiene, certain foods cause yellow stains much more than others. This can occur from both the color of the food or drink, as well as erosion of the enamel from acidic foods and drinks.

Foods that Affect Tooth Color

Foods that affect tooth color often are either of a dark color that contains pigments that stain the teeth or acidic meals that wear at the enamel more than others. Examples of food with darker pigments that can stain include things like berries, dark sauces, beetroot, or curry. Foods that are higher in acidity include things like citrus fruit or tomatoes (whole or sauced).

Drinks that Affect Tooth Color

Tooth color also gets affected by drinks for similar reasons. Darker drinks that frequently wash around teeth or acidic drinks that wear enamel can stain in the same way that food does. Darker drinks that lead to yellow teeth include things like dark colored sodas, coffee, tea, red wine, and more. Drinks that are high in citric acid and can cause stubborn stains from enamel erosion include ones like soda or fruit juice.

So, just keep in mind what foods and liquids you’re regularly consuming and how they might turn your teeth yellow over time from staining or enamel wear. By simply paying attention to your dietary habits and keeping up with brushing your teeth, you can help slow the process of food and drink turning your teeth yellow.

Age-Related Tooth Discoloration

As you get older, your teeth start to stain as well. Even when making teeth a focus throughout your life, periodic tooth grinding, dark drinks and foods, developing health problems, and more can lead to yellow teeth.

Thankfully, dentists, with their professional whitening techniques, can help combat discoloration over time. If your enamel thins as you age, or if your teeth face physical trauma throughout your life that leads to more regular staining, you may need to visit the dentist for assistance more often. Your dentist will be more than willing to help get your teeth where you want them to be and provide any guidance they can to help you maintain a brighter smile.

Consider Professional Teeth Whitening

If you have dealt with discolored teeth and regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste, whitening toothpaste, or over-the-counter whitening treatments aren’t doing the job to help whiten teeth for a brighter smile, West Wind Dental can help. Tooth staining can be a difficult thing to handle, and, although these at-home options can go a long way toward helping prevent teeth yellowing, they sometimes aren’t enough for making teeth whiter.

If you want to smile bright, your dentist will always recommend that you use whitening toothpaste, so long as it has fluoride as well to protect your teeth. However, even this won’t completely stop your teeth from turning yellow. So, a regular dental check up on top of brushing your teeth daily is the best way to address both tartar buildup and your concerns over tooth color.

West Wind Dental offers professional teeth whitening alongside regular dental checkups that work to provide the most dependable way to whiten your teeth. With a dental hygienist on your side, the option for professional whitening treatments offers the best way to guarantee not only your tooth health, but a beautiful appearance too. Contact our dental clinic to schedule a teeth whitening with us soon!

Dr. Drew | West Wind Dental

Dr. Andrew Hamilton, DDS, FAGD

Dr. Hamilton is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Dental Association (ADA), the Michigan Dental Association (MDA), the Kalamazoo Valley District Dental Society (KVDDS), the American Academy of Implant dentistry (AAID), the International Academy of Facial Aesthetics (IAFA) and also attends courses with the Pikos Institute in Northwest Florida. He is a member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICIO), has achieved fellowship status in the International Dental Implant Association (IDIA) and in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD), has graduated from and is an alumnus of the Kois Center program in Seattle, and is on the faculty of the Global Dental Implant Academy (GDIA).

 

The little spare time left over is spent Steelhead and Salmon fishing and the occasional round of golf.