In this day and age, appearance and what you put out into the world seem to have great importance. While you always want to put your best foot forward, this can lead to mental health issues and a drop in your self-confidence. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and have pride in their smile.
So, can yellow teeth become white again? Yes, yellow teeth can become white again. Most stains on your teeth can easily be lifted with certain whitening treatments. Professional whitening treatments, as well as teeth whitening toothpaste, strips, and kits, will help make yellow teeth white again.
So if you’ve found yourself wondering if yellow teeth can become white again, this article is for you. I’ve collected all the information you need to know about whether teeth can be whitened again and exactly how you can do it! Keep reading to find out more.
Can Yellow Teeth Become White Again?
Yes, they can! Most stains on your teeth can easily be lifted with certain whitening treatments. So, whether your teeth have become a little dull or you find the yellow stains to be getting more obvious, whitening is an option!
Now that you know it is possible to make yellow teeth white again, let’s go over exactly how you can make that happen, how long it can take, how much it may cost, and everything else you need to know about maintaining healthy, white teeth.
What Makes Teeth Look Yellow?
Over time, certain foods and drinks can begin to stain the enamel of your teeth, causing them to become dull or turn yellow. Coffee, wine, tomatoes, and other acidic foods/drinks are more likely to leave stains on your teeth.
Discoloration can also occur as a result of taking certain medications, or even your genetics. Smoking can also leave stains on your teeth and be extremely difficult to remove. While you can’t control all of these potential stains, there are things you can do to limit their power to turn your teeth yellow. We’ll get into that more later, but one thing to keep in mind is simply brushing your teeth after eating or drinking something that is more highly pigmented – such as coffee, wine, or tomatoes.
How Can Yellow Teeth Become White Again?
Fortunately, there are several remedies, both at home and professional, that can help whiten your teeth again. Commercial solutions like whitening strips, toothpaste, and mouthwash promise to dramatically brighten your smile. While they can be effective and result in a few shades difference, they aren’t always powerful enough to remove deep, set-in stains.
Some home remedies that promise to help brighten your teeth include brushing with baking soda, rinsing with hydrogen peroxide, and limiting your intake of sugar. Many people do claim that these remedies have helped whiten their smile, and they are somewhat effective; however, use needs to be limited. Using these remedies too often can be abrasive to your teeth and remove the protective enamel layer, causing you more dental problems in the future.
Instead of home remedies, or if you find that they aren’t effective enough for you, professional whitening is possible. Working with your dentist, you can get a professional-grade whitening treatment that penetrates the tough enamel and removes years of stains. Oftentimes, professional whitening treatments can brighten teeth by as many as ten shades, and they work quickly.
How Long Does It Take for Yellow Teeth to Turn White Again?
The question of how long it takes for your yellow teeth to turn white again is largely up to the treatment you choose, as well as the food/drink you consume. If you choose to stick with over-the-counter solutions like whitening strips/toothpaste/mouthwash, it may take longer to see some results. And, it will also depend on how often you do the whitening treatments.
With whitening strips, products promise a visible difference within 7-14 treatments, which you can use consistently for 7-14 days straight. However, for people with sensitive teeth, doing a whitening strip treatment every day isn’t always a great idea and can cause a lot of discomforts.
For other treatments, such as the professional ones provided by your dentist, you could see a significant improvement after just one session. After further evaluation from your dentist, many times they will recommend a certain number of treatments for you depending on your shade of teeth and the change after the first treatment.
Once you undergo a whitening treatment, whether, at home or professional, it is helpful to abstain from eating anything acidic or deeply pigmented for at least 30 minutes to an hour afterward. This just helps the stain remover sit and soak in without any disruptions.
Ideally, depending on the level of staining you have and your genetics, you can expect your teeth to brighten within the first 2-3 whitening treatments you do.
How Much Does It Cost to Turn Yellow Teeth White?
If you choose to start with home remedies, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5-$25. Some whitening products can cost more than others, but most consumer products will be less than $50.
If you choose to go to your dentist for a professional whitening treatment, you can expect to pay anywhere from $600 to upwards of $1000. The price will depend on the type of product/treatment your dentist uses and how much they charge. While this cost does seem a bit high, professional whitening treatments have been proven to work. Also, if it’s important to you, it will pay off in the end.
Most dental insurance policies won’t cover whitening treatments, so you will likely be paying out-of-pocket for whiter teeth. Again, if it’s important to you and you’ll feel more confident in your appearance, the money is worth it.
How Do You Maintain Healthy, White Teeth?
One of the best ways to have white teeth is to prevent them from turning yellow in the first place. The best way to do this is to maintain proper oral health. Proper oral health includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day for about 2 minutes each. Also, floss at least twice a day, or even better, floss after you eat every time. In addition, you should visit your dentist twice a year for check-ups, proper cleaning, and x-rays. As well as to make sure there are no issues or problems that could pop up.
Sometimes, maintaining proper oral health doesn’t always keep your teeth white. This doesn’t mean they aren’t healthy, it just means your genetics may be more inclined to stain. Or that the foods and drinks you consume regularly lead to more staining. If this is the case, whitening treatments, either at home or with your dentist, at regular intervals can help you maintain strong, healthy, and white teeth.
Take Pride In Your Smile
Everyone should feel confident and proud to share their smile with the world. If you’ve found yourself hesitant to smile in public or trying to hide your teeth – it’s time to do something about it! Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas on how to get started, but if not, visit your dentist. They will be happy to share with you the treatments they recommend – specifically for you.
Don’t let something as easy as whitening your yellow teeth keep you from being happy and confident in your appearance, take pride in your smile!
Related Questions
Are there Risks to Whitening Your Teeth?
As with most things in life, there are a few risks that can come with whitening treatments. The most common risk is tooth sensitivity. Bleaching and whitening use highly concentrated chemicals that can cause “zingers” as well as sensitivity to cold or hot drinks/foods. Sensitivity doesn’t last more than a couple of days, but it can be very uncomfortable.
Gum irritation is another risk. This simply means you could have some slight burning or reddened skin along your gum line as a result of contact with peroxide. Again, this won’t last more than a couple of days but it can be uncomfortable.
If you experience either of these symptoms, talk with your dentist about how to mitigate sensitivity when undergoing whitening treatments. As they may have a certain toothpaste they recommend or even a different kind of whitening treatment.
Are White Teeth Natural?
Just like everyone is unique, so are their teeth! From the shape of their mouth to the straightness of their teeth, down to the color. The truth is, the color of your teeth depends on several different factors, meaning that white teeth aren’t necessarily “natural.” Enamel thickness, enamel shade, eating habits, genetics, and oral health habits all contribute to the natural shade of your teeth. This means your natural shade could be a little off-white, while someone else’s could be more inclined to yellow.
Most people you see on the street with bright, pearly whites are not showing you their natural tooth color. As they have undergone whitening treatments of some kind. So, if the idea that you have unnatural-looking teeth because they are dull or slightly yellow is plaguing you – there is no need to worry about that anymore!
Are Yellow Teeth A Sign of Poor Health?
No, they aren’t, as someone’s natural tooth color could just be many shades different from bright white. This means that whatever shade you have does not signify poor dental health on your part.
