Dorothy FarrarYellow teeth (tooth discoloration)
Yellow teeth ( tooth discoloration ) are generally an unsightly side effect that almost everyone notices and can inflict mental suffering on those affected. However, this is not a disease, but rather a cosmetic problem. Tooth discoloration can be treated well with thorough dental care and dental treatments.
What are yellow teeth (tooth discoloration)?
Yellow teeth is basically a form of tooth discoloration. Medication, food, the normal aging process or small injuries to the enamel lead to yellow teeth.
There are no other effects associated with this, although sometimes the root of the tooth is also affected and the discoloration can occur as part of a tooth injury. However, pain is not to be expected with yellow teeth, which means that it is usually a purely cosmetic problem for those affected.
However, especially with advancing age, yellow teeth are seen as part of physical deterioration and are usually no longer treated. However, yellow teeth can always be corrected, and they can also be prevented.
causes
Yellow teeth or tooth discoloration are mostly due to external influences that cause such discoloration. This could be food, for example. Tea, coffee, chocolate or some berries cause yellow teeth.
The consumption of tobacco or wine can also lead to it. Drug use is also sometimes attributed the potential to leave patients with yellow teeth.
However, such a discoloration can also result from small injuries in the tooth enamel. Here, bacteria collect in the fine cracks , which also leave behind the discolored and now yellow teeth.
Tooth or root diseases (caries) can also be responsible for tooth discoloration. Ultimately, however, age can also trigger this process: the more mature a person becomes, the more yellow teeth are part of their appearance.
When to the doctor?
In the case of yellow teeth, the patient usually does not need to see a doctor. These are usually caused by eating, which stains the teeth and thus loosens the enamel from the teeth. However, as long as your teeth are not in pain, you do not need to see a dentist.
However, it is recommended to remove the staining plaque from the teeth. This plaque can attack the enamel and slowly peel off this layer. The dentist can remove the yellow plaque and thus restore the natural protective layer of the teeth. However, a doctor only needs to be consulted if the teeth really hurt. It can also cause uncomfortable feelings when chewing. The teeth can also become relatively sensitive to pain with the yellow coating and react with pain to changes in temperature.
If the person concerned notices that the teeth hurt when drinking hot or cold drinks, a doctor should also be consulted. A doctor’s visit is also necessary if the discoloration of the teeth appeared suddenly without the patient consuming certain foods or a lot of coffee and tea. Such sudden changes can have other reasons and causes that can only be treated and diagnosed by a doctor.
diagnosis and course
Yellow teeth only appear through a gradual process. In this respect, it is not always easy for those affected to recognize tooth discolouration. It is often only possible to determine by comparing them with earlier photos that the teeth that were once white have now turned yellow.
But even within the dentition, the dentist can recognize color differences and distinguish the yellow teeth from those that have not yet been attacked.
Nevertheless, the person affected usually has a good sense of the fact that the color of the teeth has changed – for many people this is the reason to have the yellow teeth whitened.
During the annual check-up, the dentist can use various diagnostic tools to quickly identify whether the tooth is discolored. Especially from the conversation with the patient, conclusions can quickly be drawn about the causes of the discolored teeth.
Regular consumption of coffee, certain types of tea or tobacco are common reasons for yellow teeth. The doctor also checks the entire set of teeth for caries or other pathological changes in the teeth.
complications
Yellow teeth are tooth discoloration, which is mostly due to everyday influences such as coffee or nicotine . First of all, they primarily represent an optical problem. However, what is happening, which is invisible to the eye, is the weakening of the tooth enamel. As soon as it discolours, this means that it has become porous due to damaging environmental influences and can no longer protect the tooth against tooth decay and other germs and pathogens.
However, caries bacteria are already in the oral cavity of every adult, there are only very few exceptions. They can survive for a long time waiting for a tooth to weaken in a small area – for example through visually visible tooth discoloration.
Yellow teeth therefore harbor the risk of opening the door to caries – the risk of periodontitis usually increases at the same time . The main danger is that caries is not immediately noticed and can occur even with good oral hygiene, since the bacteria are already present and even the best cleaning of teeth at home cannot all kill them. However, healthy tooth enamel can protect itself against serious problems if you brush your teeth regularly. If caries is noticed too late, parts of the tooth have already been destroyed and will not grow back. Dental treatment is required.
treatment and therapy
In principle, thorough oral hygiene can remove tooth discoloration or, at best, prevent it from occurring in the first place. Regular brushing of the teeth (3 times a day) is often sufficient for this.
If solidified tooth discoloration can no longer be removed by cleaning your own teeth, you should confide in your dentist. Here, a professionally carried out tooth cleaning as part of dental prophylaxis or the so-called “bleaching” of the teeth can bring the desired success.
Chemical bleaching agents are usually used for “bleaching”. This is usually a gel that is applied to a dental splint and this is attached to the teeth.
This is intended to ensure that the yellow teeth achieve a uniform and significantly lighter shade. However, it must be mentioned that chemical bleaching agents can attack the enamel and lead to microscopic injuries to the teeth.
It is therefore important not to attempt whitening yourself, even if the market offers a variety of products that promise sparkling white teeth.
outlook and prognosis
As a rule, yellow teeth can be treated and removed relatively easily, so that there are no further problems. However, this complaint does not heal itself, so that the patient is dependent on more frequent tooth brushing and generally better oral hygiene. Special treatments at the dentist can also treat the yellow teeth and remove the plaque . As a rule, however, these treatments have to be repeated more often, as plaque keeps forming on the teeth. Yellow teeth can generally be avoided by avoiding certain staining foods.
Smokers in particular must significantly reduce their cigarette consumption in order to treat the complaint properly. The yellow teeth do not particularly affect the patient’s life expectancy and do not limit it. However, yellow teeth can also lead to tooth decay and other consequential damage and complications. They cannot be avoided with some foods. In any case, a positive course of the disease is possible with this complaint if the person concerned initiates treatment.
prevention
Yellow teeth and tooth discoloration can be prevented in principle by avoiding foods such as tea, coffee and tobacco. At the same time, regular and, above all, thorough brushing ensures that yellow teeth do not develop in the first place. Depending on the cause and type of tooth discoloration, the dentist can use various treatment methods.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.