Can you reverse yellow teeth?

Having yellow teeth can be embarrassing and make you feel self-conscious about smiling or laughing. Many people wonder if there are ways to reverse yellowing and get their teeth looking white again. The good news is that in most cases, it is possible to reverse yellowing and whiten teeth at home or with professional treatments.

Table of Contents

What causes yellow teeth?

There are several potential causes of yellow teeth:

Food and drink stains – Coffee, tea, red wine, and other dark pigmented foods and drinks can stain the enamel over time.
Tobacco use – Smoking and chewing tobacco causes teeth staining.
Poor dental hygiene – Not brushing and flossing regularly allows plaque buildup which can discolor teeth.

Medications – Some antibiotics like tetracycline can cause tooth discoloration.
Genetics – Some people naturally have thinner enamel or yellower dentin which shows through.
Age – As you get older, the outer enamel wears thin and the yellowy dentin shows through more.

Fluorosis – Consuming excessive fluoride especially during tooth development can cause dental fluorosis leading to white spots or streaks.
Trauma – An injury that damages the enamel can lead to discoloration.

Can you reverse yellowing from staining?

Yellow teeth caused by external staining from food, drinks, tobacco, etc. are the easiest types of discoloration to reverse. This type of surface staining can be removed by:

Professional teeth whitening – In-office bleaching provides the fastest and most dramatic results for stained teeth. A dentist will apply a high-concentration peroxide gel and use laser light or heat to accelerate the whitening. Results are seen after just one 1-hour treatment.
At-home whitening – You can whiten mildly stained teeth with over-the-counter whitening strips, trays, rinses, or toothpastes. These contain lower concentrations of peroxide so take longer (a few weeks) but gradually lift stains.
Scaling and polishing – A professional dental cleaning removes surface stains caused by plaque as well as tartar deposits that trap stains.

Consistently minimizing staining by brushing with a whitening toothpaste, reducing dark drinks, and quitting tobacco can help maintain a whiter smile after reversing yellowing.

Can internal discoloration be reversed?

Yellowing caused by inside the tooth itself like thinning enamel, yellow dentin, or trauma can be more difficult to reverse. However, there are still ways to improve the appearance of internally discolored teeth:

Professional whitening – Because peroxide penetrates into the tooth, high-concentration in-office whitening also improves the appearance of internal discoloration. It may take several treatments but can lighten the color by several shades.

Dental bonding – A dentist applies a composite resin material over the surface of a yellow tooth to mask its color. The resin bonds to the enamel for a seamless look.
Dental veneers – These thin porcelain covers are bonded over the front of teeth. Custom-made to match your natural teeth, veneers fully hide inner yellowing.
Crowns – Placing crowns or caps over severely discolored teeth provides complete coverage of the visible tooth surfaces.

The above solutions can make teeth appear whiter but do not remove the organic cause of internal discoloration.

What about yellowing from aging?

As you get older, the outer enamel layer wears thin exposing more of the yellow inner dentin. Can you reverse this age-related discoloration?

Again, the most effective option is professional whitening treatments. Higher peroxide concentrations will penetrate deep into the tooth structure. Several sessions may be needed to see significant color change from aging yellowing.

Beyond bleaching, veneers and crowns mask the appearance of yellowing by completely covering the tooth surface.

While aging yellowing is difficult to reverse fully, consistent bleaching maintenance helps. Use custom trays for occasional touch-up whitening a few times a year.

Reversing yellowing from fluorosis

Fluorosis causes white specks or streaks on teeth from overexposure to fluoride during childhood tooth development. There are ways to conceal mild fluorosis:

Professional whitening – In-office treatments can reduce white mottling from fluorosis by blending discolored areas with surrounding tooth shade.
Microabrasion – A dentist lightly sands areas of enamel discoloration to smooth out appearance.
Composite bonding – Tooth-colored filling material levels out pitted white spots.

Porcelain veneers or crowns – These fully cover severe fluorosis stains.

For moderate to severe cases, more invasive solutions like dental veneers or crowns provide the most dramatic improvement in appearance by masking the fluorosis discoloration.

Can you reverse tetracycline staining?

Tetracycline is an antibiotic that can permanently stain developing teeth gray, yellow or brown if taken by children under age 8. Because tetracycline binds to calcium ions while the teeth are still forming, the discoloration becomes incorporated into the structure of the enamel.

While this type of staining is challenging to reverse, there are treatment options:

Professional bleaching – In-office whitening using very high peroxide concentrations and specialized light activation can improve tetracycline discolored teeth to some degree. Complete reversal is usually not possible with whitening alone.
Dental veneers – These customized tooth coverings are the most effective solution for concealing tetracycline stains. Veneers are resistant to discoloration.

Crowns – When the tetracycline staining is very severe, placing crowns over the affected teeth disguises the dark discoloration.

Can you reverse yellowing from root canals?

A root canal treated tooth may discolor and turn yellow or brown months or years after treatment. This happens because the blood supply to the tooth is cut off, and over time the lack of nutrients causes the enamel and dentin to yellow and darken.

Bleaching root canal treated teeth can be very challenging because of the lack of living pulp tissue inside the tooth. However, there are some options:

Internal bleaching – A dentist places a peroxide gel inside the tooth chamber and seals it temporarily. Over 1-2 weeks, the peroxide penetrates the tooth structure internally to lift stains.
External bleaching – Using custom fitted trays to hold the whitening gel against the tooth surface may yield moderate lightening over an extended period of time.
Dental veneers or crowns – Masking the front surface of the tooth with porcelain restorations is the most reliable and dramatic option for reversing severe root canal yellowing.

While challenging to treat, root canal discoloration can often be greatly improved with dedication to professional bleaching procedures or concealed with veneers or crowns.

Can you reverse yellowing from medications?

Certain antibiotics like tetracycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration if taken while teeth are still developing in childhood. But some medications cause stains that are reversible:

Antihistamines – Antihistamines like Benadryl can cause surface stains that appear as brown streaks or spots. Fortunately, these are external stains that can be removed by professional cleaning and whitening.

High blood pressure medications – Medications containing trace amounts of metals can lead to gray, yellow brown surface discoloration. Like antihistamine stains, these can be lifted with dental cleaning and bleaching.
Mouth rinses – Over time, chlorhexidine oral rinse can stain teeth brown. Stopping use of the rinse and getting teeth professionally cleaned will remove this type of staining.

So while some medication related stains are permanent if they occur during enamel formation, many drug induced discolorations are reversible with dental treatments.

What about braces stains?

After a course of orthodontic treatment, some patients find they have yellowish teeth around where the braces brackets were. This is due to mineral deposits building up around the brackets which can leave stains on the enamel.

Braces stains respond very well to professional cleaning and whitening treatments. Getting teeth polished and then undergoing in-office bleaching provides dramatic results and can fully reverse any yellowing from orthodontic brackets. Continuing to use whitening toothpaste and maintaining cleanings is important for keeping teeth white after braces.

Can traumatic dental injuries cause irreversible yellowing?

Severe trauma to the mouth and teeth such as a sports injury, car accident, or fall can damage the teeth and alter their color. It’s possible for a tooth to become discolored after:

Losing its nerve from trauma – A nerve injury makes the tooth slowly lose blood supply and turn yellow from the inside out.
Chipping or fracturing – Damage to the enamel exposes the yellowing dentin underneath.
Developing an abscess – An infection inside the pulp chamber causes pus buildup and pus stains internally.

With prompt treatment like root canals on injured teeth, the progression of yellowing can be halted. Bleaching procedures may be able to lighten the tooth color to some degree over time. But often the most effective solution for severe trauma discoloration is a dental crown or veneer to mask the inner yellowing.

Home remedies for yellow teeth

There are also some home remedies you can try to temporarily improve the appearance of yellow teeth:

Baking soda – Make a paste with baking soda and water and brush gently onto teeth. Baking soda is a mild abrasive that can help scrub away some surface stains for a whiter appearance.

Hydrogen peroxide – Swish a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution around the teeth to lift some stains. Be sure not to swallow the peroxide.
Apple cider vinegar – Rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar which acts as a mild acid to remove discoloration on enamel.
Coconut oil pulling – Swish coconut oil around the mouth to help extract stains from teeth.

Strawberries – Use mashed strawberries to gently scrub the tooth surfaces and temporary lighten staining.

However, these home remedies only provide slight temporary improvement compared to professional whitening treatments or restorations.

Preventing future yellowing

While you can reverse existing yellowing, preventing new stains keeps your teeth whiter longer:

Brush and floss thoroughly twice a day.
Get regular dental cleanings every 6 months.
Use whitening toothpaste.

Drink staining beverages like coffee, tea, and wine through a straw.
Rinse mouth with water after consuming staining drinks.
Quit smoking and chewing tobacco.

Get touch up whitening 1-2 times per year.

Practicing good oral hygiene and limiting discoloring habits preserves your results after undergoing yellow teeth reversal treatments.

Professional vs home whitening

Both professional in-office procedures and at-home whitening kits can reverse yellowing. But which works best?

Professional whitening is faster acting and more powerful:

Uses higher peroxide concentrations like 35-40% carbamide peroxide.
Applied and controlled by the dentist.

Uses light and heat activation for accelerated results.
Whitens dramatically in one 1-hour visit.

Over-the-counter whitening kits produce more gradual results:

Uses lower peroxide concentration around 10% carbamide peroxide.
Self applied with trays or strips.
Does not use light activation.

Takes 2-4 weeks of daily use to see noticeable lightening.

For fastest reversal of severe yellowing, professional in-office whitening is recommended. Milder cases can be treated with OTC kits but require more time and diligence to see results.

Tooth sensitivity with whitening

A common side effect of peroxide whitening gels is temporary tooth sensitivity. Because the peroxide penetrates deep into the teeth, it can irritate the nerve endings and cause sensitivity for a few days after use. However there are ways to minimize discomfort:

Use desensitizing toothpaste for several days before and after whitening.
Choose lower concentration whitening gels.
Talk to your dentist about taking an OTC pain reliever before whitening.

Avoid extremely cold, hot, sweet, or acidic foods and drinks for a couple days until sensitivity subsides.
Discuss fluoride or potassium nitrate treatments to calm nerves.

Sensitivity from whitening usually resolves within a few days after treatment is complete. Properly following the instructions for your whitening product helps reduce the likelihood of significant pain or discomfort during the process.

When to see a dentist

For severely yellow or stained teeth, it’s best to have your teeth professionally evaluated:

If over-the-counter methods are ineffective at lightening stains.
If stains are localized to one area of the tooth.

If stains are internal or deep within the tooth structure.
If there are white spots or fluorosis marks.
If teeth are yellowing unevenly.

If you have temperature sensitivity, pain, or chipping in addition to discoloration.

A dentist can identify the causes of severe yellowing and customize the most effective whitening or restorative solutions. Getting an exam first provides the best chance of successfully reversing tooth yellowing.

When to avoid whitening treatments

While generally safe, whitening is not appropriate in all circumstances:

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid peroxide bleaching.
People with significant gum disease or many exposed root surfaces.
Individuals with allergy to peroxide compounds.

Children under age 16.

Talk to your dentist about the safety of professional or home whitening methods given your oral health status and medical history.

Conclusion

While aging and some medical conditions cause irreversible yellowing, most types of tooth discoloration can be reversed. Eliminating external stains through better hygiene and professional whitening offers reliable results. Concealing internally yellowed teeth with bonding or veneers is also highly effective. Combining good oral care habits with the supervision of your dentist provides the best chance of turning your yellow teeth white permanently. Consistent maintenance keeps teeth whiter longer after undergoing the process of reversing yellowing.