Thanks to social media influencers and shows such as Love Island, it now feels like our regular-looking teeth no longer cut it.
After all, who couldn’t help but feel a little self conscious when we’re constantly bombarded with images of super straight, pearly white teeth (AKA veneers) all of the time?
The good news is you don’t have to go to the extreme of flying out to Turkey for a fresh set of veneers to feel more confident either, as there are plenty of ways you can look after your pearly whites at home.
A recent post from Dr. Shaadi Manouchehri – who goes by @dr.shaadi.manouchehri on social media – revealed that habits such as brushing your teeth after breakfast or your morning coffee are causing damage to your enamel, which will inevitably give your teeth a tea-stained yellow tinge.
If you’ve been guilty of skipping brushing your teeth before bed or after an acidic drink don’t worry, there are several ways you can avoid or rescue mis-coloured teeth.
Specialised toothpastes
Of course not every product in the supermarket which claims to give you a Hollywood smile within a handful of days will work as advertised, but it’s likely that they can help with the appearance of your teeth.
It’s also worth look for a toothpaste which combines ingredients such as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are bleaching agents and can improve the appearance of discoloured teeth.
Bleaching agents such as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can be found in some toothpastes. (Getty Stock Images)
However make sure you don’t overdo it as excessive use can also damage your teeth. According to the American Dental Association hydrogen peroxide should not exceed a concentration of 3.6%, while Colgate states that a percentage between three and six is safe for use.
Whitening strips and trays have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years as a quick fix method, however it’s important not to overuse them.
Toothpaste containing charcoal can also be beneficial however, like whitening strips, it’s important that you don’t overuse them as it will end up damaging your enamel.
Foods to avoid
Coffee and milky tea are, of course, major offenders in staining your teeth. However, they’re not the only food and drink which can cause your gnashers to get a yellowed appearance.
Most of our teeth look like this – and its absolutely fine. (Getty Stock Images)
Fizzy drinks, citrus fruit drinks and red wine can also cause staining due to their sugary and/or acidic nature – which is abrasive to your teeth.
Foods such as curry, tomato-based sauces and berries can also cause erosion to your enamel.
We’re not suggesting you live off a diet of just water and plain vegetables – that would be miserable – but the key thing to remember with any food is moderation.
Don’t overdo the sugary foods, maintain good dental health and throw in the occasional use of hydrogen peroxide toothpaste or whitening strips and your teeth will most likely be fine.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health
A dental expert has shared a few simple ways you can avoid staining your teeth.
We can thank content creators, Love Island stars and celebrities for making us more self-conscious about our gnashers.
I mean, if you were to take a scroll on any social app, you’d likely be greeted by endless pics of perfect, pearly white teeth.
Veneers appear to be the ‘in thing’ right now, with more and more people flying out to Turkey to get their cut-price work done to feel that bit more confident.
But what if I were to tell you that there was a way to do this naturally, at home?
Dentistry and health expert Dr Shaadi Manouchehri, known as @dr.shaadi.manouchehri on social media, posted a video on TikTok about bad habits, like drinking coffee or brushing after breakfast, that could cause damage to your enamel.
This could result in darker, stained teeth that will have you sporting a yellow tinge when you smile.
If you’ve been guilty of skipping brushing your teeth before bed or after an acidic drink don’t worry as, according to Regenerate Enamel Science, there are several ways you can avoid or rescue discoloured teeth.
Specialised toothpastes
Of course, not every product in the supermarket which claims to give you a Hollywood smile within a handful of days will work as advertised, but it’s likely they may be able help.
It’s also worth looking for a toothpaste which combines ingredients such as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide as bleaching agents can help improve the appearance of yellow teeth.
You can keep your teeth nice and white without booking a flight to Turkey (Getty Stock Image)
However, make sure you don’t overdo it as excessive use can also damage your teeth.
According to the American Dental Association, hydrogen peroxide should not exceed a concentration of 3.6 percent, while Colgate states that a percentage between three and six is safe for use.
Whitening strips and trays have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years as a quick-fix method, however, it’s important to use them sparingly.
Toothpaste containing charcoal can also be beneficial but, like whitening strips, it’s important that you don’t overuse it as it can end up damaging your enamel.
Foods to avoid
Coffee and milky tea are, of course, major offenders in staining your teeth. However, they’re not the only food and drink which can cause your teeth to develop a yellow appearance.
You should avoid brushing your teeth right after breakfast (Getty Stock Image)
Fizzy drinks, citrus fruit drinks and red wine can also cause staining due to their sugary and/or acidic nature – which is abrasive to your teeth.
Foods such as curry, tomato-based sauces and berries can also cause erosion to your enamel.
We’re not suggesting you live off a diet of just water and plain vegetables – that would be miserable – but the key thing to remember with any food is moderation.
Don’t overdo the sugary foods, maintain good dental health and throw in the occasional use of hydrogen peroxide toothpaste and your teeth will most likely be fine.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health
If you take good care of your teeth but still can’t achieve that pearly white shade, this dentist might be able to help with your dilemma.
Dr Zainab Mackie explained that a lot of people who think they do a good job of caring for their oral health are actually making major mistakes.
And as a result of this, your teeth might have that dreaded yellow hue rather than that lovely white colour we all want.
There are a few things we can do to keep our smile shining, such as brushing and flossing regularly, getting regular cleanings and avoiding consuming things which might stain our teeth.
But what if you’re already doing all of that stuff and still seem to have discolouration on your gnashers?
The dentist explained why you might have yellow teeth despite taking good care of them (Getty Stock Image)
Well, according to Dr Mackie, you are probably committing one of these cardinal sins despite being under the illusion you’re an amateur oral health expert.
The dentist, from the US state of Michigan, shared a TikTok video responding to a concerned bloke who said he ‘brushes everyday’ but ‘still has yellow teeth’.
She kindly offered the social media user some advice, explaining there could be a few possible reasons for this.
What could be causing yellow teeth?
Brushing too hard
“You might be brushing too hard, stripping away that white enamel,” Dr Mackie said.
The hard outer layer which coats our teeth and protects them from damage can erode away over time, but you can really speed up the process if you’re being too enthusiastic with your toothbrush.
Aggressive brushing ‘can erode the tough enamel shield, letting dentin show through, making teeth appear yellow and increasing sensitivity’, according to Willow Tree Dental.
Dr Mackie warned that you might be brushing a bit too vigorously (Getty Stock Image)
As well as this, you are putting yourself at risk of increased plaque buildup, more cavities and even tooth loss – so chill out a bit with your brushing.
Diet and lifestyle
Dr Mackie explained that your diet and lifestyle also has a lot to do with the colour of your teeth.
If you smoke, are on certain medications or are partial to drinks and snacks with staining-power, your gnashers might not be that white anymore.
“If you drink too much pop, that’s going to stain your teeth,” the dentist continued. “Acidic fruit juices are definitely a teeth stainer.”
Think twice before you shove anything vibrantly coloured, sugary or acidic in your mouth, as this could leave a mark on your teeth.
So, how do you avoid yellow teeth?
To keep a glittering smile, Dr Mackie advises avoiding over-brushing and sipping fizzy drinks and juice which can erode your enamel through a straw.
Social media users were grateful for the expert’s insight and flooded the comment section with their thoughts.
One said: “So I’ve been brushing too hard!!”
Another wrote: “Not me drinking orange juice literally after brushing my teeth.”
A third added: “Watching while drinking a whole bottle of coke.”
And a fourth wrote: “Ok, now how do you fix that…”
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image/TikTok/drzmackie
No matter how much you brush, how often you floss and how quickly you get through bottles of mouthwash, it sometimes seems you just can’t shake that shade of your teeth.
Maybe you’ve tried countless TikTok hacks and products at this point and yet your gnashers are still yellow. And sure, basically no one ever notices and has never commented on them, but we’ve all got our own insecurities.
But perhaps it’s less about your cleaning and hygiene and more down to mistakes your making with food and drink.
Dr Derek Chung is a dentist in Canada and shares videos to the page ‘Paste Dental’ to offer up advice on dental health. And in one clip, he shared four common mistakes that may be the reason for your yellow teeth.
The dentist advises using straws. (Getty Stock)
Drinking through a straw
The dentist says it could be because ‘you’re not drinking coffee through a straw’.
Now, this is probably more to do with iced coffee, because who is drinking their hot cuppa through a straw?
Chung reckons doing so will ‘send beverages past your front teeth’ and therefore, you reduce the drink’s ‘ability to discolour them’.
Water to wine
Another reason you could have yellow teeth could apparently be because ‘you’re not drinking water between glasses of wine’.
Usually, the trick advised to help with a hangover, Chung says: “Swishing your mouth out with water after drinking wine can help to wash away the tannins that stick to your teeth and leave those ugly stains behind.”
All those cuppas could take affect. (Getty Stock)
Energy drinks
A tough one for those who have that go-to pick me up, the dentist claims energy drinks could be a culprit of your yellow teeth.
Chung says: “Energy drinks and sports drinks are a no-go because they’re super acidic.”
He says that the caffeine hits tend to ‘wear down your enamel’ and therefore make your teeth ‘weaker’.
Tea and coffee
Perhaps the most obvious one, it’s not one a lot of us want to hear – the dentist advises cutting down on tea and coffee.
Just like we’d use them as kids to make ‘old looking paper’, he explains that the drinks are ‘culprits for staining’ due to their tannins, which ‘seep into your teeth’ and leave dark marks.
Don’t start panicking about your yellow teeth though lads, in most cases discolouration is simply a cosmetic issue rather than a health one.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Food And Drink, Lifestyle, Health
If you were enjoying Christmas then you might want to make sure you remembered your dental hygiene.
In between several rounds of culinary feasts, watching the new Wallace and Gromit and crying over the last-ever Gavin and Stacey, you probably had a decent amount to drink too.
Don’t worry, many of us enjoy a bit of the finer stuff in life during Christmas, because if you can’t push the boat out at this time of year when can you?
However, a dentist has warned that one of the most popular drinks at Christmas is really bad for your teeth, and you’ll be upset to learn that it’s something you won’t want to stop drinking.
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“Mmmm, lovely. Do your teeth feel a bit funny?” (Getty Stock Image)
Sorry folks, but apparently Prosecco is the sort of thing dentists wouldn’t recommend you try.
Dr Nyree Whitley, chief clinical officer for mydentist, explained why the drink was not good for your teeth and could play a part in turning them yellow.
She said: “I’m afraid I have some bad news for Prosecco lovers – while an enjoyable festive tipple, the acidity in Prosecco can damage your enamel and could, in turn, lead to discolouration.”
You might have spent the day quaffing Buck’s fizz and felt a bit tingly in your teeth while doing so, that’ll be the acid eating into the enamel that keeps them protected.
The dentist recommended either cutting down on the Prosecco intake or drinking it through a straw, and advised people not to brush their teeth immediately after drinking the stuff as that could just scrub the acid around your mouth and do more damage.
Instead, she suggested waiting at least 30 minutes after drinking to clean your teeth.
You probably don’t want your teeth turning yellow (Getty Stock Image)
On the other hand, Christmas is now over so you along with your nearest and dearest have likely polished off most of the Prosecco you bought for the big day.
If there’s any left then heed the advice of the dentist, especially since the other leftovers you’ll be scoffing are unlikely to be much good for your teeth either.
That chocolate Yule Log that only three people had a slice from can’t sit around forever, it’ll need to be eaten along with the leftover turkey and various trimmings that didn’t quite get eaten.
Just remember to be aware of what foods contain acid that’ll give your tooth enamel a real pummelling.
It’d be a shame to start the new year with your teeth turning a shade yellower.
