How Can I Make My Yellow Teeth White Again? - Didsbury Dental Practice (2024)

Although many of us have yellowing teeth, we still find ourselves impressed when we see someone smile and reveal a perfect set of shining white teeth. We ask ourselves; can they naturally be that white? Have they always been like that? More importantly, can I make my yellow teeth white again?

Fortunately, there are ways of making your yellow teeth white, from improving your oral hygiene and diet to visiting the dentist and having them professionally whitened. There’s no need to feel ashamed of your smile anymore.

Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?

Teeth lose their white shine and turn slightly yellow as a natural part of ageing, so it’s not a cause for concern for most people. However, there are also other factors in a person’s life that can cause their teeth to turn more yellow more quickly, such as:

• Oral Hygiene
• Diet
• Smoking
• Medication

While most of us are used to brushing our teeth twice a day, we might not realise the importance of flossing and using mouthwash as regularly. In fact, a study by Hive revealed that 39% of 25 – 34-year-olds only brush their teeth once a week, and 36% of 35 – 44-year-olds have never used mouthwash! These are shocking results and they indicate a national problem with neglecting oral hygiene and dismissing dental health as inferior to other aspects of our health.

It should go without saying that dental health is a large component of our physical health and should be treated as seriously, so if you’re one of the 39% that rarely brush, start brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash twice a day and notice your yellow teeth get healthier and whiter.

What we consume has a large impact on the whiteness of our teeth too, with many acidic foods and drinks containing sugars and harsh acids that wear away the protective enamel on our teeth and cause them to turn yellow, as well as products with natural staining components such as chromogens and tannins.

What’s more, tar from tobacco sticks to teeth when smoking, causing yellowing teeth, and certain medications can cause teeth to change colour, sometimes to a yellowish hue, but more commonly a greyish colour.

Whatever the reason for your yellow teeth, it’s not too late to turn them white again.

How to Whiten Teeth At Home

There are many ways to whiten your yellow teeth, and fortunately, most can be done from the comfort of your own home. This is especially important since many Brits fear trips to the dentist due to the perceived cost, as well as fear of painful dental treatment – a 2022 study shows only 41% of adults in England visited the dentist over the past 2 years demonstrating a strong reluctance towards dental visits and a further neglect for our oral health.

Regardless of your fear of dental treatment, it’s important to visit the dentist to stay on top of your dental health to avoid potentially serious illnesses. But you can reduce your need for dental treatment by effectively keeping your mouth clean and your teeth white.

Lifestyle Changes

The most crucial change you can make to your teeth cleaning routine is ensuring you practise excellent oral hygiene; that means brushing, flossing and using mouthwash twice a day. But it also matters when you brush your teeth.

Many of us will start our day with a sugary breakfast to give us energy for the rest of the day, or at least a coffee or cup of tea, but you should brush your teeth before you consume anything in the morning to remove any bacteria present in your mouth overnight and protect your teeth against the harsh acids, sugars and staining-elements contained in most breakfast food and drink items.

Cleaning your teeth, gums and tongue before food consumption will not only protect your tooth enamel from harmful chemicals that can cause tooth decay, cavities and gum disease but will also stop these products from causing your teeth to turn yellow.

For whiter teeth, you should also stop smoking. Cigarettes are very damaging to our health in many different ways, but as our mouths are the first point of contact for the smoke and harmful chemicals, they often take the brunt of the harm. Cancers of the larynx, pharynx and oesophagus are all very real possibilities that should persuade you to stop smoking, however, it’s harder to see these conditions developing.

What you can see, though, is the tar from the tobacco staining teeth yellow, weakening them against other harmful products we consume, so you should consider stopping smoking for the sake of whitening your teeth as well as protecting your overall physical health.

Natural Teeth Whitening Remedies

There are several ways of whitening your teeth naturally, however, it must be said that they are not as effective as improving your oral hygiene and using dental products that are designed to keep your teeth clean, white and healthy.

Some people brush their teeth with charcoal as the rough substance can scratch off some of the bacteria causing yellow teeth, leaving them with whiter teeth. However, this is more of a temporary solution, as charcoal is too abrasive for our teeth and can also scratch off the protective enamel on the surface of our teeth, leaving them more susceptible to damage and further staining.

Coconut oil is also a common substance reported to be a useful natural alternative to mouthwash that can keep your mouth clean and make your teeth white, but again, the presence of one acid that is known to kill a certain bacterium in our mouths within coconut oil does not make it more effective than using mouthwash which contains the same acid as well as many more components that brighten, whiten and clean your teeth while keeping them healthy.

At-Home Teeth-Whitening Kits

If you already have an excellent oral hygiene regime and your teeth are still yellow despite brushing, the best way to whiten yellow teeth is by purchasing an at-home teeth whitening kit! You can visit your dentist to have a personalised mould of your mouth made, then you just have to place this mould with a gel inside, over your teeth at times that suit you, and you’ll see your yellow teeth becoming white again over the course of just a couple of weeks.

Teeth Whitening at the Dentist

If you want to whiten your yellow teeth fast, your best option is to have your teeth whitened at the dentist. Simply make an appointment, and the dentist will cover your teeth with the necessary gel and place a UV light over your teeth, and you can walk out of your appointment with brilliant white teeth in under an hour. What’s more, you can even have your old silver fillings replaced with white fillings to keep your whole mouth sparkling and make sure you’re never afraid to laugh again.

People with very sensitive teeth and gums may not be suitable for professional teeth whitening services, however, you can discuss options with your dentist as they may be able to recommend other treatments, such as veneers. Having your teeth whitened will help protect them from the harmful products in our food as well as the staining agents, however, too much whitening can also damage the tooth enamel, so once your teeth have been professionally whitened you should practise excellent oral hygiene to keep them whiter for longer.

Expert Teeth Whitening – Didsbury Dental Practice

No one should have to hide their smile or cover their mouth when they laugh; at Didsbury Dental Practice, we want to give people the confidence to smile proudly.

Book your teeth whitening appointment or arrange your at-home teeth whitening kit today so you can have the perfect smile.