There’s just something about a dazzling white smile. It lights up a room and imbues that person with a sparkle that extends well beyond their teeth. A bright, pearly smile can be a source of confidence, helping you put your best foot forward each time you make a first impression.

That’s why yellow teeth can be such a downer, especially if you don’t know what’s causing them or how to reverse it. But don’t worry. You don’t have to watch your pearly whites turn dingey over time. At A&N Dental, we help you figure out what’s causing your teeth yellowing. And, perhaps even more importantly, Mandana Kheshtchin, DDS, offers multiple teeth whitening options to help you reverse the yellowing and reclaim your bright white smile.

Leading causes of yellow teeth

Wondering what’s causing your yellow teeth? Here are the most common reasons.

Consumption of staining food and drink

The food you eat and the liquid you drink can impact your teeth. Generally, if it can stain your clothes, it can stain your teeth. Some of the leading teeth staining items include:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Tomato sauces
  • Red wine
  • Berries
  • Soda

If you’re a coffee-lover, consider icing your beverage and using a straw to drink it to protect your teeth. It can also help to rinse your mouth after consuming any of these staining substances, but wait for at least a half-hour to brush. If you don’t, your teeth’s recent exposure to the acid in your food or drink can compromise your enamel.

Age

The enamel on your tooth’s exterior is white, but the next layer in — the dentin — is yellow. As your enamel wears away over time, your teeth start to look yellower. Protect your enamel by brushing and flossing daily, avoiding staining foods and drinks, and skipping tobacco products.

Tobacco use

Whether you smoke or chew, you’re exposing your teeth to tobacco, a top cause of teeth staining. If you really want pearly whites, start working toward quitting — or, at the very least, dramatically minimizing — your use of tobacco products.

Teeth grinding

When you grind your teeth, you can weaken your enamel. As it gets damaged from continual grinding, it exposes the yellow dentin below, giving your smile a less-than-ideal tinge.

Oral hygiene

Because healthy, unstained enamel is the key to bright teeth, oral hygiene plays a big role in the whiteness of your smile. Brush and floss every day to remove plaque from your teeth. If you don’t, the bacteria in plaque have time to eat away your enamel.

Brightening your smile

Whatever’s causing your teeth to yellow, Dr. Kheshtchin can help you reverse it. At A&N Dental, she offers both in-office teeth whitening and take-home whitening kits. With our safe, professional-strength whitening solution, you can lift stains from your teeth to get a dazzling smile.

To get started with teeth whitening, call our office in Tempe, Arizona, or book your appointment online today.