There are several causes of tooth discoloration, including:
• Foods/drinks. Coffee, tea, colas, wines can stain your teeth.
• Poor dental hygiene. Inadequate brushing, flossing, and rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash to remove plaque and stain-producing substances like coffee and tobacco can cause tooth discoloration.
• Disease. Several diseases that affect enamel (the hard surface of the teeth) and dentin (the underlying material under enamel) can lead to tooth discoloration. Treatments for certain conditions can also affect tooth color. For example, head and neck radiation and chemotherapycan cause teeth discoloration. In addition, certain infections in pregnant mothers can cause tooth discoloration in the infant by affecting enamel development.
• Medications. The antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline are known to discolor teeth when given to children whose teeth are still developing (before age 8).
Advancing age. As you age, the outer layer of enamel on your teeth gets worn away, revealing the natural yellow color of dentin.
• Genetics. Some people have naturally brighter or thicker enamel than others.
• Environment. Excessive fluoride either from environmental sources (naturally high fluoride levels in water) or from excessive use (fluoride applications, rinses, toothpaste, and fluoride supplements taken by mouth) can cause teeth discoloration.
• Trauma. For example, damage from a fall can disturb enamel formation in young children whose teeth are still developing. Trauma can also cause discoloration to adult teeth.
There are several treatment options for yellow teeth, so deciding how to get rid of yours will largely depend on the specific cause, your age, and condition of your teeth. We always aim to provide the least invasive treatment possible to create the optimum outcome.
The simplest method of removing minor surface stains is scaling & ,polishing, if staining is more intrinsic. Provided that your discoloration is not due to inadequate enamel exposing the dentin, tooth whitening (bleaching) is often the most effective treatment for yellow stained teeth.
If your teeth are also worn or chipped, the best solution may be composite bonding or porcelain veneers – or a combination of bleaching, bonding and veneers.