Their Teeth May Have Thin Enamel If your child's enamel is thinner or weaker than normal, their teeth may look yellow. This is because enamel is whitish in color, while the layer of dentin underneath the enamel looks much more yellow.
Good news: this is normal. Permanent teeth have more dentin (the layer of the tooth underneath the outer enamel), which has a more yellowish color. They also have very large nerve canals when they erupt and the enamel is more naturally transparent.
If your child is between the ages of 6-13, their baby (primary) teeth will start to fall out, and their adult teeth will erupt. Often, their new adult teeth may have a yellowish color, especially compared to their remaining baby teeth.
Yellow teeth are usually nothing to worry about in kids, but they can also sometimes indicate a cavity or another oral health issue. So if you're not sure why your child's teeth are yellow, it's best to see a children's dentist in Lombard like Dr. Brett Blacher right away.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Plaque and staining can build up if a child doesn't brush and floss regularly, causing teeth to turn yellow. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day can help children avoid yellow 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.
Yellow or discolored teeth can be unattractive causing teeth to look prematurely aged, or dirty. Patients with discolored teeth may feel embarrassed of their smile and hide their smile in photos or while laughing. White, bright smiles can help patients feel more confident in professional and personal interactions.
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.
What Can Be Done to Whiten Yellow Teeth? If you're looking for a radical change in the coloring of your teeth, you need professional-grade whitening to get the job done. Your cosmetic dentist can provide treatment that penetrates deep into the enamel and removes years of stains with a powerful bleaching agent.
All in all, yellow teeth don't necessarily equal unhealthy or weakened teeth. It may just be the natural color of your dentin shining through.
The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends waiting until the child is at least 14 years of age before considering tooth whitening procedures. This allows the tooth pulp to fully form and reduces sensitivity levels.
Myth #2: Yellow teeth are unhealthy.
Teeth that are not perfectly white can still be healthy. The teeth are considered unhealthy if their color is attributed to plaque buildup or staining. Having off-white teeth is often healthy.
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!
Don't worry. This is normal. There are a few reasons that permanent teeth may look yellow. First, they have more dentin (the yellowish second layer of the tooth) compared to baby teeth.
Consuming Certain Foods and Drinks
Other teeth-staining foods include coffee, citrus fruits and juices, soft drinks, teas, berries, tomato-based sauces, curry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Ingredients in these foods can seep into your enamel (the outermost covering of your teeth) and cause discoloration.
Tooth Brushing Isn't Meant to Whiten Teeth
Brushing twice a day (or more if recommended by a dentist) is essential, as it removes plaque and prevents cavities. The bristle action of a toothbrush won't whiten teeth, though, and even whitening toothpastes can only have a limited effect on the surface of teeth.
The Right Age To Whiten
Most dentists agree that teeth whitening should be done no earlier than age 14-16. Many pre-teens do not have all of their permanent teeth yet, so it's best not to undergo teeth whitening until all adult teeth are present, and there are no longer any baby teeth in your child's mouth.
Brushing your teeth is meant to remove harmful bacteria and plaque but not to whiten them. As recommended by your dentist, brushing twice a day is vital because it prevents cavities and tooth decay. Brushing alone will not whiten your teeth, though, and even whitening toothpaste only has a minimal effect on your teeth.
Natural Enamel Thickness & Translucency
Enamel is on the surface of every tooth and it has a natural hue of white. However, the underlying dentin layer has a slightly yellowish color. This yellowish hue shows through the enamel in almost everyone, but more so for those with naturally thinner or more translucent enamel.
If your teeth and gums aren't in the best shape or if you've had a lot of previous dental work, both issues can affect your results with traditional teeth whitening treatments. You won't be able to whiten either porcelain crowns or most commonly used dental bonding materials.
For stains from food and drink or plaque on the tooth's surface, you might try making a paste from a few drops of lemon juice and baking soda. Once per week, simply combine the two ingredients and have your child brush their teeth with them. Leave on for 1 or 2 minutes before brushing again, then rinsing well.
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.
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.
Reader's Digest quoted Adriana Manso, a clinical professor in UBC's faculty of dentistry, for an article about how whitening agents weaken teeth. He said “bleaching products contain hydrogen peroxide that diffuses through the enamel.