How to whiten yellow teeth: 5 top tips

Even if you keep a solid oral care routine, your teeth may become stained over time. If you brush your teeth and rinse your mouth using an antiseptic mouthwash your mouth will be clean and healthy, however, some lifestyle and genetic factors can still impact the shade of your teeth. For example, the following factors can make your teeth turn yellow or grey:

• Acidic drinks such as coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and wine
• Smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products
• Thin tooth enamel that shows the pale brown/yellow layer underneath called dentine.
• Dry mouth
• Some medications like antibiotics and supplements
• Genetics
• Ageing

Many people wonder how to clean stained teeth; fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to brighten your teeth. A good oral hygiene routine, avoiding stain-causing foods and drinks and using teeth whitening products can help to remove surface stains and brighten your smile. Below, you’ll find five of our favourite tips on how to keep teeth white.

Practising good oral hygiene is essential for keeping teeth white after whitening. Brush your teeth at least twice a day using a whitening fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth with dental floss or interdental brushes and rinse your mouth with a whitening mouthwash to keep your mouth fresh. Remember to schedule regular dental check-ups and follow care instructions from your dental hygienist to prevent further stains and other dental issues.

Good oral hygiene is essential, but you can also avoid new stains or deepening stains by skipping foods and drinks with acids and dark colours known to stain teeth. Intensely pigmented foods like red wine, berries and coffee should be a treat, but not something you consume throughout the day. You can remove the particles left from these foods and beverages by brushing your teeth shortly after consuming them.

If you want to know how to remove yellow stains on teeth, the most effective option is an in-practice whitening treatment with your dentist. Professional whitening has become very popular because you can see a difference in a single visit or a few visits, they also give long-lasting teeth whitening results. Whitening treatments with your dentist are typically more expensive than whitening products you can buy in shops.

If you don’t want to make multiple visits to your dentist for teeth whitening, an alternative is to try it at home. With this method, it’s always advised that you follow advice from your dentist before beginning your treatment. It’s likely you’ll make an initial appointment with your dentist to take impressions of your mouth to make a custom-fitted mouthguard. Once you have your reusable mouthguard, you can buy the whitening solution from your dentist to carry out the treatment yourself. The whitening gel supplied by dentists is stronger than over-the-counter products, so make sure you follow their instructions on how long and how often you should use it to achieve the results you're looking for.

Your smile may not be as bright as you want because of weak enamel. According to Queen Mary University of London, tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, and it can’t repair itself once it breaks down. Once oral disease affects the enamel, you can't restore it, and weak enamel can be more susceptible to decay and cavities. That's where enamel protection comes in handy. Fluoride found in most toothpaste can help strengthen tooth enamel against the wear and tear associated with acidic foods and beverages, meaning fewer stains on weak enamel.

Eating foods high in calcium can help to keep your enamel strong. Healthy enamel means that the layer of dentine underneath doesn't show, causing your teeth to appear whiter in colour. Dairy products and non-dairy calcium-rich foods provide your teeth with the minerals they need to keep enamel healthy.

When oral hygiene itself doesn't improve the appearance of your teeth, it might be time to consider other options. Talk to your dental professional about their recommendations for removing surface stains and maintaining a bright smile.

If you want long-lasting teeth whitening results, there are lots of home remedies you can try. Whitening strips, mouthwashes, toothpastes and pens are now widely available over-the-counter. These products have a lower concentration of the whitening compounds used by the dentist, so they may not be quite as effective as an in-chair treatment, but you should still notice a difference in the brightness of your teeth. At Colgate, we offer a wide range of teeth whitening products that are affordable, safe to use and let you achieve great results gradually at home:

Our Max White Overnight Whitening Serum can reverse up to 15 years of stains caused by food and drink. Simply paint the serum onto your teeth and let it dry, leave on your teeth overnight and brush in the morning as normal. With just 3 weeks of continued use you should see the results!

The Colgate LED Whitening Kit is another great at-home choice. Again, it comes with an easy-to-use whitening pen with serum that you can apply directly to each tooth. Insert the ComfortFit applicator into your mouth – the LED light is controlled by your smartphone and will activate the whitening serum for a quick whitening treatment that only takes 10 minutes! Repeat twice a day for 2 weeks for brighter, whiter teeth.

Colgate Max White Ultimate Radiance Toothpaste is our most advanced whitening toothpaste yet. We’ve developed this enamel-safe toothpaste to reverse up to 15 years of deep-set stains caused by food and drink with just 4 weeks of continued use!

Hopefully these tips have given you a better idea of how to clean stained teeth. Try them out and enjoy a brighter, whiter smile!