Yellow teeth may be prone to decay and weakness, causing chipped teeth. This affects children of all ages, as baby teeth are as important as permanent teeth. Yellow teeth also pose social concerns. If the discoloration is extreme, your child may be teased so it's best to seek early treatment.
Since dentin has a natural yellow appearance, your child's teeth may look yellow and unmatched if several of their permanent teeth come in at different times. The good news is that this is an entirely normal occurrence. Adult teeth will eventually lose their yellow shade, brightening and whitening over time.
Their Permanent Teeth Are Starting to Come in
If your child is about 6-7 years old and their permanent teeth have started to erupt, you may notice that their permanent teeth look quite a bit more yellow than their baby teeth. Good news: this is normal.
If your child's teeth are not being brushed at least twice a day for 2+ minutes, bacteria-filled plaque and tartar (hardened and calcified plaque) can form on their teeth. Plaque can attract stains from foods and beverages, and tartar has a yellowish-brown color that may also discolor the teeth.
You can remove your child's tooth discolouration by promoting good oral hygiene practices. This includes brushing and flossing their teeth at least two times a day, as well as avoiding food or drink that are sugary or acidic. You can also make a natural solution of lemon juice and baking soda.
Mix about a teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of water to create a paste. Have your child brush their teeth with this paste, and over time, you may see stain removal and a whitening effect. Use hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent that can whiten tooth color.
Adult Teeth Are More Yellow Than Baby Teeth
First, if only your child's adult teeth look a bit yellow, you probably have nothing to worry about. Due to the anatomy of adult teeth, they tend to look more yellow when they first erupt, especially compared to the bright, white baby teeth.
Thankfully, yellow teeth aren't forever. Not only can your teeth be whitened, but you can also adopt habits that keep them looking good. Use this blog to learn about why teeth become yellow, how you can fix them, and what you can do to prevent future discoloration.
Myth: A yellow color means your teeth are unhealthy
As long as you follow a solid at-home cleaning regimen, have routine dental cleanings and exams, and have received a clean bill of health from your dentist, you don't need to worry about yellow teeth impacting your overall health.
Highly pigmented foods like blueberries and tomato sauce and beverages, such as soda, energy drinks and fruit juice can stain kids' teeth, making them look yellow. To avoid this, have kids rinse their mouth out with water after eating or drinking anything pigmented and be diligent about brushing.
Dentin has a natural yellowish tint, and when the enamel thins — which is usually a consequence of aging — the dentin underneath can begin to show through and make your teeth look yellower. Despite this, your teeth may actually be perfectly healthy and sound.
In our modern day of internet dating and blind date setups, first impressions can be a big, big deal. That said, few people include “canary yellow teeth” on their list of turn-ons. In fact, both men and women commonly find yellow teeth a turn-off at best and a deal breaker at worst.
As the child's tooth grows and thickens, it will lose some of the yellow hue caused by the nerve and dentin showing through the enamel. However, regular brushing and flossing will keep the plaque at bay and the tooth and gums healthy. Use a spinbrush at home.
Non-White or Yellow Teeth are Unhealthy
Teeth whitening treatments usually work by stripping or entering the outer enamel layer, which makes teeth weaker if done many times. So, more often than not, yellow teeth are actually stronger than pearly white ones–so long as they're cleaned regularly.
Yellow teeth can be completely whitened with teeth whitening technologies at the dentist or at home. Depending on the status of your yellow teeth as well as your needs, the doctor will advise and prescribe the appropriate method.
This type of discoloration is normal and can be attributed to the fact that permanent teeth have more dentin (dense inner tissue) than baby teeth. Enamel (surface of the teeth) is translucent. Sometimes, the dentin is visible and appears more yellow and larger than little, light-colored baby teeth.
Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of water and brush your kid's teeth with it twice per week. Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach that helps to whiten stained teeth. For efficiency, you can mix it with baking soda and brush your kid's teeth with it twice a day for a week.
Even with daily brushing, certain foods and drinks can cause stained teeth. For example, frequently drinking coffee, tea and wine can all lead to yellow teeth. In addition, even regular brushing cannot always combat yellow teeth caused by smoking cigarettes.
In most cases, yellow teeth are considered unattractive and, at times, can be mistaken for poor oral hygiene.
Having yellow teeth can be embarrassing, but doesn't necessarily mean that your teeth are unclean or unhealthy. Rather than worrying about your dental cleaning routine, you should instead focus on the products that you eat, drink and smoke.
The best thing to know about yellow teeth is that it doesn't signal a medical problem. Yellow teeth can be as healthy as white ones. Yellowing is not only a common side-effect of stains from food and beverages, but also a natural part of the aging process.
Most dentists agree that regular toothpaste with whitening ingredients are okay for children to use, but only in small (pea-sized) amounts and when they learn to brush properly, i.e. not too hard!
It is also common to find lesions and ulcers developing in the mouth during the puberty. Tooth staining is also quite common among many teens. Stains in your tooth can happen due to diet changes or consumption of drinks like dark soda and tea.
Conclusion. Teeth whitening improves the appearance of your teeth and improves your smile. However, dentists recommend waiting until children are at least 14 years old before considering teeth whitening for kids.