My child’s permanent teeth are yellow or darker than their baby teeth. Is something wrong? What should I do?
This is a question I get asked frequently and has an answer which provides a huge relief for many parents. In most cases, these yellower teeth are completely normal. It’s actually considered to be an optical illusion! You see, baby teeth, as mentioned earlier are actually nick-named “milk-teeth” because of their bright, white color. They are beautiful, delicate and oh-so adorable. Then, our permanent teeth make their appearance right beside those beauties. Permanent teeth are actually much yellower than baby teeth and often appear big and “gangly.” So, when sitting adjacent to something so spectacular such as baby teeth, they can appear downright ugly at times.
If you don’t make mention of it to your child, they often don’t even notice and therefore won’t become self conscious. The issue is that some people truly do have naturally darker teeth than others. Color and whiteness shades are highly variable and can also run in families. This is why whitening products have become so popular in our culture today. Once your child’s permanent teeth have all come in, re-evaluate the color then and see how they appear to you. My guess is that they will not appear as yellow/dark as they first did while next to the “milk-white” teeth. If they are, and if the child is self conscious, whitening toothpaste and possible whitening agents can be considered once the child is at the age appropriate time.
There is also another cause of yellow teeth in children which can be a quick fix-depending on your child. Often times the discoloration is caused by poor oral hygiene. If the child does an inadequate job at brushing, or refuses to brush regularly, a thick layer of yellow plaque builds up on the teeth. This can make teeth appear up to 3-4 shades darker than they actually are. So, look at your child’s teeth carefully. If you see a layer of “fuzzy” looking film that looks as if it could be scraped off, then you likely have your culprit.
There are generally not many foods or drinks that will cause staining at this age, unless you are allowing your child to have red wine or coffee! Iced or hot tea can also cause staining which is easily removed during regular dental check-ups. If your child has the dreaded “fuzzy’ layer and also drinks sodas frequently, the staining may be exaggerated. Smoking can also cause staining, but if your child is smoking at this age, then I suspect you have bigger worries than yellow teeth!
One last note to mention here. There are other causes of darker teeth and if you feel that these above are not the reasons for it, please see your dentist for an evaluation. There are multiple genetic disorders and diseases which can affect tooth color. These disorders can cause yellowing, but more importantly can affect the overall integrity of the teeth.
Examples of these disorders include but are not limited to: Amelogenesis Imperfecta and Dentinogenesis Imperfecta (each with sub-type categories). These disorders, cause defective enamel or other tooth tissues, can give a “flaking away” quality and appearance of tooth, rather than yellowing alone. There are ranging severities of the disorder and thus the appearance will vary from person to person. Though yellowing alone is uncommon in these disorders, it still can be the only obvious sign. When in doubt, check with your dentist, as these disorders need special attention in order to keep the teeth healthy. If the teeth appear red, green or brown or any other abnormal color, please see your dentist or physician immediately.
Tags: Appearance, Baby Teeth, Beauties, Guess, Job, Milk Teeth, Nick, Optical Illusion, Parents, Permanent Teeth, Plaque, Poor Oral Hygiene, Shades, Teeth White, Thick Layer, white teeth, Whiteness, Whitening Products, Whitening Toothpaste, Yellow Teeth