• Is what you eat eating your enamel?
  • Where to Buy
  • Coupon
  • For Professionals
GSK Logo
Sensodyne Pronamel
  • About Enamel
    • What Is Tooth Enamel?
    • What Causes Tooth Wear?
    • How to Reharden and Strengthen Enamel
    • Why You Should Protect Your Enamel
    • Healthy, White Teeth: Surface Stains vs Enamel Erosion
    • You Can Actively Repair Your Enamel
    • Can You Regrow Tooth Enamel
    • Enamel Hypoplasia: Causes and Treatment
  • About Acid Erosion
    • How to Sanitize Your Toothbrush
    • Cavities vs. Acid Erosion
    • Foods and Drinks That Cause Acid Erosion
    • How to Prevent Acid Erosion
    • Protect Your Teen's Teeth from Acid Erosion
    • Are Everyday Acids Affecting Your Tooth Enamel?
    • Most Acidic Foods & Drinks for Teeth
    • Oral health and overall health
    • The Effects of Acid Erosion
  • Why Pronamel®?
    • Pronamel® Toothpaste Actively Strengthens Weakened Tooth Enamel
    • The Benefits of Pronamel® Toothpaste
    • The Science Behind Pronamel® Strong & Bright
    • Behind the Paste: How Pronamel Works
    • Sensodyne or Pronamel: Which Toothpaste Is Right for You?
    • The Science Behind Pronamel® Intensive Enamel Repair
    • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
    • How to Sanitize Your Toothbrush | Pronamel®
  • Our Products
    • Pronamel Active Shield Whitening Toothpaste
    • Pronamel Active Shield Fresh Mint Toothpaste
    • Enamel Protection Toothbrush
    • Gentle Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste
    • Fresh Breath Fluoride Toothpaste
    • Multi-Action Fluoride Toothpaste
    • Daily Protection Fluoride Toothpaste
    • Strong and Bright Mint Toothpaste
    • Strong and Bright Extra Fresh Toothpaste
    • Intensive Enamel Repair Clean Mint Toothpaste
    • Intensive Enamel Repair Extra Fresh Toothpaste
    • Intensive Enamel Repair Whitening Toothpaste
    • Mineral Boost Refreshing Peppermint
    • Mineral Boost Gentle Whitening Action
  • Healthy Living
    • Strong, Healthy Teeth
    • Nutrition and Your Teeth
    • Every Day Strong
  • Is what you eat eating your enamel?
  • Where to Buy
  • Coupon
  • For Professionals
  1. Tooth Enamel and Acid Erosion Protection | Pronamel® Toothpaste
  2. Healthy Living
  3. Strong, Healthy Teeth
  4. Reducing Teeth Yellowing

How to Reduce the Stains on Yellow Teeth

Have you ever seen those television commercials where the people have pearly, white teeth? Maybe your teeth are almost completely white, but you have a few stubborn stains that just won’t go away? Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help remove stains and lessen the chances of teeth yellowing in the future.

What Causes Yellow Teeth?

Sometimes, teeth can darken due to things we can’t control, such as aging, genetics, or an accident that disturbs our enamel’s development.1 However, some discoloration is caused by surface stains that can be removed with the right products and healthy habits. The following factors determine the color of your teeth:1,2,3,6

1. Diet

What you eat and drink can stain your teeth. Coffee, tea, and red wine can add brown stains to your nearly white teeth.

2. Age

As you get older, your teeth’s enamel becomes thinner. Thin enamel reveals more of the yellow-colored dentin on your teeth, which is the layer under your enamel.

3. Genetics

Some people have less than white teeth from childhood to adulthood because of their genes. Genetics can determine the thickness of the enamel that protects your teeth.3

4. Medication

Some medications and treatments may have the side effect of discoloring your teeth. Medications used to manage allergies and high blood pressure can have this side effect. Antibiotics such as doxycycline and tetracycline can also cause changes in enamel formation and tooth color when taken under the age of 8.

5. Smoking

Smoking can cause teeth yellowing because tar and nicotine can stain your teeth.

6. Poor oral hygiene

Sometimes, the yellow stains on your teeth are related to plaque and tartar build up. If you don’t properly brush and floss your teeth after eating, bacteria from food and drinks can stay on your teeth. Overtime, the plaque can harden into tartar, which needs to be removed by your dental professional.

Are Yellow Teeth Harmful?

Because it’s a myth that everyone should have pearly, white teeth, you shouldn’t be immediately alarmed if your teeth have a yellow or gray tint.4 Outside of any self-confidence issues or social assumptions, having less-than white teeth is quite common. It’s not necessarily a sign of poor dental health. However, you should consult with a dental provider if:4

  • Your teeth turn an irregular color for an unknown reason
  • Your teeth don’t return to their normal color even after you brush your teeth well

Your dental provider might ask you questions about your diet and dental hygiene to figure out what’s causing your teeth to change colors. Sometimes, your teeth can be restored to their natural color with a proper at home or professional cleaning.4 A severe change of color might need to be covered with fillings, veneers, or crowns.4 There are things you can do at home, and with the help of your dental provider, to lessen the yellow and brown stains on your teeth.

Ways to Remove Yellow Stains from Teeth

Some things you can do to try to remove extrinsic stains from your teeth are:1,5

  • Brush your teeth using a whitening toothpaste like Pronamel Mineral Boost Gentle Whitening Action, which whitens the tooth surface. This toothpaste gives your enamel a mineral boost by enhancing natural mineral replenishment for strong enamel.
  • Go to your dental provider for a professional cleaning.

How to Prevent Yellow Teeth from Returning

Once your teeth are back to their natural shade, there are some steps you can take to lower the risk of your teeth being stained and discolored in the future. To help prevent having yellow teeth again, you can:1

  • Limit how much coffee, tea, wine, and soda you drink
  • Use a straw while consuming acidic drinks
  • Drink water or rinse your mouth after consuming teeth-staining drinks
  • Limit how many high-acid foods you ingest
  • Don’t smoke
  • Practice proper dental hygiene by brushing your teeth in the morning and at night
  • Floss daily
  • Visit your dental provider as frequently as needed for proper cleanings and other dental care
  • Source Citations

    1. Tooth Discoloration: Causes, Treatment & Prevention. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10958-tooth-discoloration. Accessed 11/29/21.
    2. Does Natural Teeth Whitening Work? American Dental Association. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/natural-teeth-whitening. Accessed 11/29/21.
    3. Tooth Whitening. American Dental Association. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/whitening. Accessed 12/22/21.
    4. Tooth – abnormal colors. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003065.htm. Accessed 6/15/21.
    5. Tooth Whitening: What We Now Know. U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058574/. Accessed 6/15/21.
    6. Whitening: 5 Things To Know About Getting a Brighter Smile. Mouth Healthy. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/whitening. Accessed 2/15/22.

RELATED ARTICLES

Acidic Fruit Cup Thumbnail

Foods and Drinks That Cause Acid Erosion

Understanding the acidity of your diet can help protect your teeth from the effects of acid erosion.

Tooth With Cavity

Cavities vs. Acid Erosion

Explore the difference between cavities and acid erosion and how they can affect your teeth.

Woman Pouring Milk

How to Prevent Acid Erosion

See how you can start protecting your enamel from acid erosion with these simple steps.

Back to top

  • FAQ
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice
  • Your Privacy Choices
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap

Join the Conversation

GSK Logo

Sign Up & Save!

Get savings, oral health tips, the latest product drops, exclusive offers, and more—straight to your in-box.

* indicates required field.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and our affiliated companies may use your personal information in accordance with privacy notice and may send you commercial email about our products/services. If you do not wish to receive such information, you will be provided the opportunity to opt-out.

By signing up for Pronamel newsletters, you are certifying you are 18 years of age and older.

Help to strengthen and reharden enamel with Pronamel® Toothpaste!

Your coupon is on the way!​

© 2020 All rights reserved. SENSODYNE and Pronamel are registered trademarks owned by or licensed to GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

The content of this website is intended for US audiences only.

Sign Up & Save!

Get savings, oral health tips, the latest product drops, exclusive offers, and more—straight to your in-box.

*indicates required field.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and our affiliated companies may use your personal information in accordance with our privacy notice and may send you commercial email about our products/services. If you do not wish to receive such information, you will be provided the opportunity to opt-out.

By signing up for Pronamel newsletters, you are certifying you are 18 years of age and older.

Help to strengthen and reharden enamel with Pronamel® Toothpaste!

Your coupon is on the way!​