Dental stress

[Memoona Farooq]

I recnetly started brushing my teeth twice a day before i ised to brush just in the morning and that not even for proper 2 minutes...it recently hit me when i was feleing a bit low that my teeth appear yellow to other people and i cannot let go of that feeling since than i have tartar build up on lower bottom teeth...i scared hell to go to the dentist plus dentist here are very expensive and i cannot regulary visit tha dentist i am so depreesed about it that it has started hindering my normla everyday life

 

[NervousUSA]

@Memoona Farooq It's good that you increased brushing your teeth. Sorry to hear you are dealing with these issues though. I worry about how my teeth look too sometimes, what helps me is to realize that in daily life most people don't look at other people too closely, and don't really care about details like their teeth. If you look around on this site there might be some pages that could have useful information. I thought I would put a few links to them here in case it helps you.

The Cost of Dental Treatment

If you are worried about not being able to afford necessary dental treatment, this page provides tips for both private and NHS options.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Feeling Depressed or Suicidal?

Find out where to get help if you are feeling depressed or suicidal.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Common Fears

Why are people afraid of the dentist? Find out about some of the most common dental fears and how to tackle each of them!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[Sweet Tooth]

Hi Memoona Farooq, I'm thinking of you and wondering how you are doing? I've also felt so badly about my teeth looking yellow

letsconnect posted very kindly for me these reasons why our teeth might look yellow.​

• Genetics: Just like eye color, there's a lot of variation between people: some people's teeth are naturally yellower teeth than other people's.

• Aging: The very outside shell of teeth is whiter than the more inside layers. As we get older, everyday activities like chewing and exposure to acids wear down the outermost white layer. As it gets thinner, the yellow inside simply shows through more.

• Staining: Dark foods and drinks like coffee, tea, red wine, and berries have strong colors that stick to the tiny pores in your teeth. Smoking also stains teeth.

• Acids: They can either come from the outside (food/drinks) or the inside (stomach). When we consume a lot of highly acidic drinks/foods like lemons, fizzy drinks, or sports drinks, the acid temporarily softens the teeth and makes the surface slightly rough, almost like a sponge. If you have dark drinks like coffee or tea right after having something acidic, those dark colors can soak into the softened teeth and get trapped. Acid that comes from the stomach (acid reflux/heartburn) can do the same thing.

• Hardened plaque: if plaque isn't removed perfectly, over time, it turns into a hard yellow crust near the gums called tartar (you cannot brush this off at home; a dentist has to clean it).

• Medicines: Taking certain medicines as a growing child, especially tetracycline, can permanently stain the inside of the teeth (these look more brown/gray/blue-gray than yellowish though).

So it can be either one of these things, or a combination! But yes, most people's teeth get yellower as they get older.