Why does it still turn yellow after brushing it morning and night? How to whiten baby\’s teeth if they are yellow?

Recently I received a private message from a mother saying that she recently discovered that her child’s teeth are yellower than before. She was very confused. The child was only 8 years old and brushed his teeth every morning and evening. Why were his teeth still turning yellow? I have written many articles about children\’s teeth before: \”mouth breathing\” (Why do children\’s faces grow uglier and uglier? I\’ve been waiting for a long time, here is the professional answer!); \”Dental caries\” (caries in deciduous teeth will harm the whole body of the child, and will be accompanied by Lifetime, I just learned about it); Q&A on \”teething, teething, and brushing\” (many mothers don\’t know: there are so many things to pay attention to when babies grow teeth, change teeth, and brush teeth!), etc.; but the specific issue of yellowing of teeth has never been touched upon. question. It wasn\’t until many students asked me backstage that I realized this was a common problem: many children\’s teeth turn yellow, but mothers are confused as to why they turn yellow. So, I did some research. Today, it’s time to hand in my homework. Healthy Color of Teeth Before explaining why teeth turn yellow, let’s first take a look at what constitutes healthy teeth. It is estimated that many people, like me, think of \”a mouth of white teeth\” in their minds. As the saying goes, one white mask covers all ugliness. When it comes to teeth, we also pursue white teeth. But are white teeth really healthy? Actually, not really! The impression that “whiter teeth are healthier” is largely misleading by advertising. But in fact, truly healthy teeth are slightly yellowed ivory. The ivory color of a tooth is inseparable from its structure. If we cut open a tooth, we will find that it is composed of 3 layers, enamel, dentin and pulp. Enamel is the outermost tooth tissue and is the hardest tooth tissue. It is also the most mineralized and translucent in color. Dentin is inside the enamel and is light yellow in color. In other words, the tooth color we see with the naked eye is actually the yellowish color of dentin, not enamel. Some mothers may object that my children’s teeth were very white when they were young, not yellow at all! What\’s going on? The teeth of childhood refer to the baby teeth of children. Because the degree of mineralization of deciduous teeth is not high, the enamel on the surface is mostly white, which blocks the yellowish color of the dentin to a certain extent. After the permanent teeth are replaced, the degree of mineralization is significantly higher than that of the deciduous teeth, the translucency is more obvious, and the yellow color of the dentin is revealed more. This well explains why when a baby is in the teething period, the newly grown permanent teeth are often yellower than the deciduous teeth. Now, everyone feels a lot more at ease. Slightly yellow teeth are the healthy color of permanent teeth. Don’t worry about your children not having “white teeth” anymore. Why do teeth turn yellow? But then again, although the light yellow ivory white is a healthy tooth color, it does not mean that we can relax our vigilance against \”yellow teeth\”. We must be especially careful with abnormally yellow teeth. First of all, let’s understand what causes many children to have yellow teeth? Nowadays, the mainstream view divides the causes of tooth discoloration into three categories: exogenous staining, endogenous staining and teeth\’s own causes. Exogenous staining▼Exogenous staining means that foreign pigments or pigments produced by bacteria in the oral cavity adhere to the teeth, causing tooth discoloration. Food dyeing Among exogenous dyeing, food dyeing is the main force.Many of the foods we eat every day contain strong staining substances that can inadvertently discolor our teeth. Berry fruits that children love very much, such as cherries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, and raspberries, whether eaten directly, squeezed into juice, or processed into jelly or jam, may stain teeth; heavy flavorings Foods, such as curry, ketchup, etc., can also cause tooth discoloration to varying degrees; different drinks, such as tea and coffee, contain \”caffeine\”, which can easily form tooth stains in an acidic oral environment. Carbonated drinks and fruit juices will cause the loss of calcium and phosphorus on the tooth surface, demineralize the teeth, and damage tooth enamel. Not only will the teeth become discolored, but they will also increase the risk of dental caries. Endogenous staining ▼ In addition to exogenous staining from food, endogenous staining is also an important cause of tooth discoloration. It refers to changes in the body or internal teeth that cause changes in tooth color. Tetracycline Teeth Tetracycline Teeth is caused by an overdose of tetracycline in children while their teeth are developing. After tetracycline is absorbed, it will be deposited in the tooth tissue, forming a yellow layer on the enamel and dentin. This tetracycline calcification causes irreversible staining of the teeth. It should be noted that tetracycline drugs will not only affect the color of young children\’s permanent teeth, but if pregnant women take such drugs during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, they will also directly affect the color of the baby\’s deciduous teeth through the placenta. Dental Fluoride Fluoride is one of the essential trace elements for the human body. Teeth contain most of the fluoride in the human body, and a small amount of fluoride can promote teeth and prevent dental caries. This is why toothpaste contains fluoride. In addition to the fluoride in toothpaste, our drinking water actually also contains fluoride. But nothing is too much. The fluorine content must be strictly controlled. Excessive fluoride intake will cause spots on the teeth, causing dental fluorosis. In severe cases, the teeth will turn yellow, the surface will become rough, and they are easily chipped. Since the placenta has a certain resistance to fluoride, the chance of dental fluorosis occurring on deciduous teeth is relatively small. Causes of the teeth themselves ▼ From the perspective of the teeth themselves, dental caries is an important cause of tooth discoloration. I have written about the causes of dental caries before, but now I will briefly review them. It is internationally recognized that four factors, namely bacteria, food, host and time, jointly cause dental caries. Bacteria: Cariogenic bacteria produce various organic acids that erode tooth enamel. Food: Food (especially sucrose) remaining in the gaps between teeth provides nutrients for cariogenic bacteria; after the cariogenic bacteria \”eat\” the sucrose, they produce various organic acids through metabolism. Host: The “residence” of cariogenic bacteria is the tooth, and its shape, structure and location are also important influencing factors. Time: The onset of dental caries takes a long time, and it takes about 1.5 to 2 years to form a cavity. Once cavities form, the teeth will become stained. It starts off as chalky, light yellow, and gradually develops into tan, dark brown, and inky colors. How to prevent teeth from turning yellow, rinse your mouth in time, and brush your teeth correctly ▼ For children, if you want to prevent teeth from turning yellow, you must pay attention to oral hygiene. Drink less, no juice, and carbonated drinks. If you need to drink, try to use a straw to reduce the contact area between teeth and liquid, and don’t forget to rinse your mouth in time. Brushing your teeth is also a top priority in your daily dental care routine. Here is a reminderThe thing is, never use mouthwash instead of brushing your teeth. Although gargling with water can remove food debris from the mouth, its removal power is weak and insufficient to remove plaque. Regarding dental appliances: It is necessary to clarify the principle of \”one person, one brush, one cup\” to avoid sharing dental appliances and prevent the mutual transmission of dental diseases. About toothpaste: Although the fluoride in toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay, attention should be paid to controlling the content to prevent the occurrence of dental fluorosis. Babies under 3 years old should use toothpaste with a fluoride content of about 0.1%; babies over 3 years old can use ordinary toothpaste with a fluoride content of 0.135%-0.15%. Regarding brushing frequency: brush your teeth at least twice a day, and brushing at night is even more important. While brushing your teeth, it is recommended to use a tongue brush to clean the back of your tongue. In addition, it is not advisable to brush your teeth immediately within 30 minutes after drinking carbonated drinks. Because carbonated drinks can cause the hardness of tooth enamel to decrease, it needs to be repaired in saliva. If you brush your teeth at this time, it is easy to cause further damage to tooth enamel. Regarding brushing method: The brushing method recommended in the \”Oral Health Guide for Chinese Residents\” is the horizontal vibrating brushing method. In fact, it is the modified BASS brushing method that is currently the most recommended. You can learn the specific methods from the video: Eat a balanced diet and control sugar intake ▼Sugar is the main source of energy for the human body, and it is also a recognized risk factor for dental caries. Therefore, it is necessary for children to develop the habit of scientifically eating sweets from an early age, especially to avoid eating sweets before going to bed. After eating candy, be sure to brush your teeth. At the same time, we should pay attention to balancing the three meals of the child. It is best to let children eat more vegetables, fruits and nutritious foods containing calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and other nutrients from an early age, and try to eat whole grains as much as possible. Among many foods, there are some foods that can prevent teeth from turning yellow, such as apples, strawberries, cauliflower, pineapple, etc. We can intentionally provide appropriate amounts of supplements to our children in our lives. Learn to floss ▼The gaps between teeth are the most likely to trap plaque and food particles. Therefore, we often see that the first place where cavities appear in children is near the gaps between teeth. Therefore, in addition to learning scientific brushing methods, children also need to learn to use dental floss or a dental rinser. When we brush our teeth every day, we must use dental floss and a dental rinser to clean the interdental spaces. Only in this way can we achieve the purpose of thoroughly cleaning our teeth. Flossing is just like brushing your teeth, you must choose the right method. If used improperly, it will cause adverse consequences such as wider gaps between teeth and damaged gums. Next, let’s take a look at how to use dental floss. Regular oral health check-ups▼As parents, we must pay attention to our children’s oral health check-ups. Ask your dentist to help determine the cleanliness of your teeth, and follow your doctor\’s advice for teeth cleaning if necessary. In addition, regular oral examinations can also help prevent tooth decay. Ages 3-6 are the time when dental caries are most common. During this time, the child\’s dental arches will change and gaps will appear in preparation for tooth replacement. The \”Oral Health Guidelines for Chinese Residents\” recommends that preschool children have an oral health examination every 6 months. Yellowing teeth may seem like a small thing, but it’s definitely not! If you want to stay away from the trouble of \”yellow teeth\”, it is best toThe most effective and most important method is to clean your teeth every day. For the health and beauty of teeth, let us start by brushing teeth seriously with our children!