While it may not cause you pain or make eating unpleasant, yellowed teeth are a dental issue that many people worry about. The process of yellowing takes place over a long period of time, which can actually make it quite hard to notice. Even so, it’s something that can drastically affect the aesthetics of your smile, preventing you from looking your best and taking away from a potential great first impression.
Fortunately, yellowed teeth are usually not a signifier of any serious condition, and the issue can easily be fixed by teeth whitening procedures. There are, however, a few factors that may be contributing to the appearance of your teeth. Here are three of the most common.
Buildup of plaque, and subsequently tartar, can have a massive impact on the colour and brightness of your enamel.
1. Poor oral hygiene
This is perhaps the biggest factor in yellowed teeth. The steady buildup of plaque, and subsequently tartar, can have a massive impact on the colour and brightness of your enamel. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need to make sure you’re practising good dental hygiene. This doesn’t just include brushing regularly, but also flossing and rinsing. There will always be some areas that you can’t quite reach, which is why it’s so important to make sure you visit your dental hygienist regularly.
2. Smoking
We all know that yellow teeth isn’t the worse side-effect of smoking, but it’s certainly an obvious one. Aside from the yellowing effect of cigarettes, smokers also experience an increased buildup of plaque and tartar, which can further exacerbate the change in colour. In addition, smoking can increase the risk of more serious oral conditions, such as gum disease.
Quitting smoking can help to reduce the yellowing of teeth.3. Genetics
This one is slightly unfair, but unfortunately genetics play a very significant part in how yellow your teeth will be. In fact, the effects of your genes can have an impact on the base brightness and thickness of your enamel, too. These elements can’t be changed, so it’s simply a case of working with what you’ve got. If you know that you have slightly yellow teeth, good oral care and avoiding cigarettes becomes even more important. If you want to restore a lovely white sheen, it may be worth having your teeth whitened more regularly.
While there are a wealth of different factors that can influence the visual appearance of your teeth, it’s important to remember that you can always speak to your dentist about aesthetic solutions. For more information, get in touch with the team at City Dentists today.