Many Americans obsess about the color of their teeth. After a while, our teeth our no longer pearly white, they get a yellowish tint that drives people crazy. Many people don't realize that there are a number of things we can do to prevent our teeth from turning this yellowish color. On top of ways to prevent it, there are also many ways to bring back the white and get that perfect smile everyone wants.



The tooth is made up of four different tissues. The enamel is the strong white covering that protects the tooth from wear and tear of chewing food. Dentin supports the enamel. It is a hard, yellow material that carries the nerves in your teeth. The pulp is the center of the tooth. It contains nerves, blood and lymph vessels. This part is where the tooth receives nourishment and transmits signals to the brain. The fourth part is called the cementum. This covers the root of the tooth. It attaches the teeth to the bones in your jaw. 

The key reason teeth turn the yellowish tint is that when people eat, drink, or smoke, a layer of film develops on the tooth. Even with brushing on a regular basis, some of the film is still left. Brushing with a whitening toothpaste and regular visits to the dentist with help get rid of even more film. However, some film still remains and it eats away at the enamel. The enamel is what makes the tooth white so when the enamel thins, the dentin (yellowish bone-like material) starts showing through. This is what gives off the yellowish tint. Age also affects discoloration of the teeth. Teeth darken simply with age. Regular visits to the dentist can also prevent tooth decay, a leading cause of discoloration.

If younger people have issues with yellowish teeth, it's more than likely from staining, not from long-term thinning of the enamel. Staining can happen on the inside or outside of the tooth. Inside staining happens when your teeth are developing and is probably caused by medications taken as a baby. The outside staining is caused by several things. Drinking a lot of coffee, red wine, smoking and certain types of foods cause outside staining. Soda, tea and berries contain chromogenic agents which stain your teeth. Even some types of medication taken as an adult can cause staining. One common drug is minocycline which is used to treat facial skin conditions. Extensive use of fluoride can also cause chalky white spots to appear. A minimal amount of fluoride can be healthy for your smile but like many things, too much can do more harm than good.

There are many ways to whiten your teeth. However, you may want to be careful with which products you use or in which way you decide to whiten your teeth. The most common way people whiten their teeth is to have a dentist do it. This sometimes takes more than one visit and can get pretty costly. Whitening strips are used by placing the strips over your teeth. These strips contain a hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent. Most strips however, do not allow active oxygen to penetrate the teeth; this makes all the efforts of truly white teeth in vain. Some strips or trays can take up to two hours a day. Who has that kind of time for white teeth? Bell Lifestyles has a product called Dental White Teeth that was formulated by Dr. George Madray, D.M.D that uses an oxidizing gel for real, rapid whitening results.