Why are my teeth so yellow?

When your teeth begin to change color, there may be a variety of reasons. If your parents have yellowish teeth, you may be headed toward that same hue. Thus, heredity may be the culprit. In addition, lifestyle issues like consumption of enamel-tinting liquids such as coffee or tea, poor dental hygiene, and older age can contribute. A visit with your family dentist will go a long way toward creating an enamel friendly treatment plan that gets your teeth back to their more "natural" color.

The anatomy of the tooth

The most visible part of our teeth is called enamel. This is an extremely hard substance, designed to withstand biting and chewing. While very durable, the enamel is also prone to chipping, cracking and thinning as one gets older. If the enamel is extremely well mineralized it will appear lighter or white in color. However, the enamel is often translucent, taking most of its light-gray/white or light yellow color from the bone-like substance underneath, known as dentin. This tissue is strong, makes up the majority of the structure of the tooth, and serves as a support for the enamel.

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