Few people have yellow teeth by birth and sadly it is a malady they have to walk along with without being at fault. Others get yellow teeth because of indulgence over a period of time. It's only that they do not understand the harm they inflict upon themselves. They merrily keep binging on every possible harmful thing and keep staining their teeth.

Discoloration and surface stains (generally referred to as extrinsic stains by the dentists) can be caused by myriad factors. Delinquent habits like tobacco, red wine and invigorating drinks like tea and coffee leave a lot of extrinsic stains on the teeth.

Overindulgence in high pigmentation foods like cherries and blueberries can also cause staining. Apart from this, there is an entire phenomenon called tartar deposits, which stores up due to the hardening of plaque. This results in some serious yellowing of the teeth.

Intrinsic stains can be caused by diverse factors too. To begin, yellowing is an expense we pay for ageing. Apart from this, the teeth can suffer some kind of a trauma resulting in decay of tooth's nerve. This imparts the teeth an unhealthy gray, brown or black color; usage of too much fluoride and treating with tetracycline result in discoloration and staining of tooth in the formative stages.

Despite all the damage soaked by the teeth, there is still a fair chance of redemption. Various teeth whitening measures can enable the shine back in the teeth. Dentists and hygienists alike can help with teeth whitening by cleaning the extrinsic stains. Apart from this, teeth whitening toothpastes are available which can help more than moderately in bringing the shine back; though it must be noted that obstinate stains developed over a long span can only be cured through professional teeth whitening measures.

Depending on the physical state of the teeth and the results a person wishes to effect, he can align to various techniques like bonding, crowning and bleaching. Teeth whitening can work in two fashions. It can be done at home or it can be executed at a dentist's office. The first approach deals with the dentist making an impression of a patient's teeth and making a custom fitted tray. This needs to be filled with a teeth whitening gel and worn for nothing less than two hours. This process needs to be diligently followed for two weeks. Home teeth whitening measures are highly efficient when practiced with dentist's methods. Most of the teeth whitening gels contain 15-20 percent of Carbamide peroxide.

Teeth whitening can also be executed at a dentist's office. To affect requisite whitening, the dentists ask you to make several visits. Though the process is infrequent, it is a trifle expensive. The process usually takes half an hour for a visit. It includes using a protective gel and a rubber guard on the neck of the tooth. An oxidizing agent is further applied to the tooth which is also sometimes augmented with a special light that is used to activate the teeth whitening process.