Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Are you bothered by the yellowness of your teeth? This problem may be the result of the foods and drinks you consume, and bad habits such as smoking.
The official account of the Egyptian Ministry of Health, in a tweet on Twitter, addressed some of the reasons that may cause yellowing of teeth.
Here are 10 reasons for yellowing teeth:
- Foods: Diets full of sugars and carbohydrates cause tooth discoloration and cavities
- Drinks: Drinks such as tea and coffee
- Smoking: Tobacco products stain teeth black over time
- Medication: Some antibiotics can turn teeth gray or brown
- Poor oral hygiene: Stained teeth may be a sign of plaque buildup or cavities
- Diseases: some oral infections
- Excessive fluoride: consumption of fluoridated drinking water, juices, and nutritional supplements
- Aging: Teeth begin to turn yellow with age
- Genetic Factor: Yellowing of the teeth can be hereditary
- Mild trauma: Teeth turn gray or black when exposed to an injury
Ways to protect teeth are not limited to brushing them daily, as they depend on many means, including monitoring what you consume.
Natural sugars are found naturally in products like fruit and are less likely to cause tooth decay than added or free sugars, which are the sugars that manufacturers add to foods, but also include honey, sugar syrup, and fruit juices.
For bacteria, it is easy to consume these sugars and produce acids from them.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommend that free sugars make up no more than 5% of your daily calories.
That amounts to about 30g, or about 8 teaspoons, of sugar per day for adults and children over 11 years of age.
