Can yellow teeth become white after a dental cleaning?

Generally, whether teeth whitening through dental cleaning can effectively whiten yellowed teeth depends on the underlying cause of the discoloration. For extrinsic staining caused by surface pigmentation, dental cleaning usually results in noticeable whitening; however, for intrinsic staining, the effectiveness of dental cleaning is limited. Detailed explanations are as follows:

If yellowing is due to long-term smoking, coffee consumption, or tea drinking—leading to pigment deposition on the tooth surface—dental cleaning using ultrasonic scaling can effectively remove surface stains, plaque, and tartar. This helps restore the natural color of the teeth, achieving a certain degree of whitening effect and making teeth appear cleaner.

However, when yellowing results from intrinsic staining caused by abnormal tooth development or pulp necrosis, dental cleaning can only clean the tooth surface and cannot eliminate internal pigmentation. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve whitening in such cases. Alternative treatments such as cold light whitening or porcelain veneers are required for improvement.

To prevent extrinsic staining and maintain clean teeth, it is important to brush teeth twice daily, rinse the mouth after meals, and reduce the frequency of smoking, coffee, and tea consumption. Additionally, regular dental cleanings should be performed to remove accumulated surface stains and tartar, helping to maintain both oral health and aesthetic appearance.