Why Can’t I Brush The Yellow Off My Child’s Teeth

~ kidstoothhotline

In the Know for You to Know

You love seeing your child’s beautiful pearly white teeth. The pure whiteness has you thinking to yourself those are the cutest teeth ever.

Then one day you notice not all their teeth are sparkling white, and in fact some look yellow. You’re thinking wait, when did that happen?

Well you’re in good company. The most common time as a parent you’ll ask about yellow teeth is when your child’s first adult teeth begin to appear.

Will All My Teeth Be Sparkly And Bright?
Will All My Teeth Be Sparkly And Bright?

Baby Teeth Are White, Adult Teeth Are Not

Baby teeth are actually whiter than adult teeth. As your child gets older and their adult teeth start to come in you may see a noticeable difference in the color between the teeth. While baby teeth are more white, adult teeth tend to appear more yellower in color.

The color differences are due to the differences in the thicknesses and actual color hues of the tooth layers. Baby teeth have thinner and whiter layers so they appear more translucent. Adult teeth have thicker and different deeply colored layers so they appear more opaque.

When you’re looking at new adult teeth coming in next to baby teeth the difference is more eye-catching. As more of your child’s adult teeth come in the difference becomes less obvious.

Are There Other Reasons For Yellow Teeth?

There are lots of causes, however the 2 most common for baby teeth and adult teeth are cavities and tooth injuries.

Cavities start out as super white spots on teeth that over time cause the outer enamel shell to disintegrate leaving the inner layer of the tooth (aka dentin) exposed. This exposed part of the tooth is yellow, and that can’t be brushed back to white.

Mommy and Daddy Look At My Yellow Tooth

If your child injures their tooth the baby tooth can turn yellow or in rare cases the adult tooth can come in with a yellow spot.

As A Parent What Can You Do?

Talk with your child. School age children and teens have insecurities about their appearance, and their teeth are part of that. If you’ve noticed the yellow chances are they have also. Let them know that while lots of families deal with yellow teeth it’s something that you can take care of together.

Big Girl Teeth-Yeah! Not As White-Why?
Big Girl Teeth-Yeah! Not As White-Why?

Whether you’re dealing with yellow baby teeth or adult teeth be sure to keep up with your child’s daily brushing and flossing routine.

Have you wondered if it was normal for your child to have yellow teeth? What did you do about it? Share your tips with us, we’d really like to know. Email us at kidstoothhotline@protonmail.me Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/kidstoothhotline

More tips? We have lots. We’re here just for kids!

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Published by kidstoothhotline

As a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist with over ten years of experience practicing Pediatric Dentistry, I understand that parents and caregivers are in need for information to care for their children's oral health. You may not have your normal lines of communication open or you cannot easily call or visit your child’s Dentist and obtain answers to your questions. Some families may not yet have a Pediatric Dentist to call. My expertise and knowledge can help serve as your source as I provide answers with information that is current, informative and the Gold Standards of Care which are the practice Guidelines approved by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. I want to help you access this important information by answering your questions through this site. You may want to submit your own individual questions or you can view my postings and answers to other families questions that may apply to your child's needs. I am committed to helping you stay informed, after all it is all about your child.