Why does your teeth turn yellow?

Are you concerned with your yellow dirty teeth which gets on worsening?
Let's know the reasons why our teeth become stained and dirty. 

• Poor oral hygiene due to inadequate and improper brushing leads to accumulation of plaque. Slowly calcium starts depositing into the plaque to form hard creamish white to yellowish brown calculus on your teeth.^[1]
• Habits like smoking, chewing tobacco^[2] and betel nuts stain your teeth.
• Certain foods and drinks like tea, coffee, red wine, pomegranates etc. if taken frequently may stain the teeth.
• Prolonged use of chlorhexidine mouthwash wash^[3] may stain your teeth brown. Consumption of tetracycline antibiotics by the mother during pregnancy or by the child during the years of tooth development discolors the teeth.^[4]
• Trauma or injury to the tooth may turn it yellow or grey.
• Fluorosis:  Some areas have higher levels of fluoride in the water. Chronic excessive exposure to fluoride during the years of tooth development causes opaque white flecks, horizontal white bands or yellowish discoloration of teeth.^[4]
• Dental caries or cavities begin with opaque white spot on tooth enamel. As the tooth decays further it becomes soft brownish black.^[5]
• Genetic disorders like enamel hypoplasia, enamel hypocalcification, amelogenesis imperfecta leads to improper shape and color of tooth.^[6]
• Certain treatments like chemotherapy, root canal treated tooth if left uncapped, amalgam fillings after a period of time stains the tooth.^[4]

                     Treatment
Management of tooth discoloration depends on the cause.
Most of the external stains can be removed by scaling. 
To prevent further discoloration of teeth proper brushing and flossing, habit breakdown (smoking, chewing tobacco and betel nuts) is required.
Mouth should be properly rinsed after stain causing foods and drinks.
Internal stains generally require bleaching, restorations with composites, veneers and crowns.
Visit your dentist every six months for regular dental check-up.

                    References

1. Niklaus P. Lang, Andrea Mombelli, Rolf Attstrom. Dental plaque and calculus, Jan Lindhe, Thorkild Karring, Niklaus P. Lang. Clinical periodontology and implant dentistry, 4th Ed. Oxford: Blackwell Munksgaard; 2003. P.98-103.
2. Richard Palmer, Mena Sorry. Modifying factors: diabetes, puberty, pregnancy and the menopause and tobacco smoking, Jan Lindhe, Thorkild Karring, Niklaus P. Lang. Clinical periodontology and implant dentistry, 4th Ed. Oxford: Blackwell Munksgaard; 2003. P.188-192. 
3. KD Tripathy. Antiseptics, disinfectants and ectoparasiticides, KD Tripathy, essentials of medical pharmacology, 7th Ed. New Delhi: Jaypee; 2013. P.900.
4. Ilan Rotstein, Yiming Li. Tooth discoloration and bleaching, John I. Ingle, Leif K. Bakland, J. Craig Baumgartner. Ingle's endodontics6, 6th Ed. Hamilton: BC Decker Inc; 2008. P.1383-87.
5. B Sivapathasundharam, Ar Raghu. Dental caries. R Rajendran, B Sivapathasundharam. Shafer's textbook of oral pathology, 6th Ed. Noida: Elsevier; 2009. P.412-453.
6. R Rajendran. Developmental disturbances of oral and paraoral structures, R Rajendran, B Sivapathasundharam. Shafer's textbook of oral pathology, 6th Ed. Noida: Elsevier; 2009. P.48-58.