A beautiful smile with white teeth can make you more attractive, increase your confidence, and is a sign of good overall health. When you have white teeth, you smile more, which has been shown to release endorphins known as the “feel-good” chemicals released by your nervous system and pituitary gland. You can have a beautiful smile with white teeth by understanding what causes discolored teeth and the solutions available to whiten them. Learn more, and schedule an appointment with Trident General Dentistry today!
Types of Tooth Discoloration
Knowing what type of tooth discoloration you have helps you choose the correct solution to whiten your teeth. Dentists classify the types of tooth discoloration into these three main categories:
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Extrinsic Tooth Discoloration. Surface stains, or extrinsic discoloration, refers to changes in the color of the enamel or outer surface of the tooth. These types of stains respond best to conservative treatments for whitening.
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Intrinsic Tooth Discoloration. Internal, or intrinsic tooth discoloration, changes the appearance of your tooth from within the tooth instead of being on the tooth’s surface. Therefore, these stains require treatments that hide the discoloration since you cannot remove intrinsic stains.
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Age-Related Discoloration. Age-related staining occurs from a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic discoloration. Typically, the enamel of your teeth gets thinner with age. Losing enamel allows the underlying dentin, which is more yellow, to show through. The result is that your teeth appear more yellow.
Causes of Tooth Discoloration
The common causes of tooth discoloration include:
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Dental plaque and tartar. When plaque builds up from the accumulation of bacteria, it forms a hard substance known as tartar. Tartar is porous and can become stained from anything placed in your mouth or from bleeding gums. Stained plaque and tartar can cause various colored stains, including brown and black.
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Foods and drinks. Almost any food with color can stain the enamel on your teeth. Unfortunately, many of the healthiest foods you can eat also have the most color. Instead of eliminating these foods, you need to care for your teeth with proper oral hygiene to avoid excessive staining. Some common foods and drinks that can leave your teeth stained include: Tomato-based sauces and pastes, Berries, Coffee, tea, and colas, Curry, Fruit juices, Balsamic vinegar, Soy sauce, etc.
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Tobacco products. There are many reasons to stop smoking and using tobacco products, including lung and oral cancer. These habits will also leave your teeth discolored.
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Genetics. Some people are born with thick enamel, which gives their teeth a natural white appearance. Others have thinner enamel which allows the yellow dentin to make their teeth darker.
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Medications. Drugs such as tetracycline can discolor teeth when prescribed for children with developing teeth. Other medications that can discolor teeth include doxycycline, antihistamines, and high blood pressure drugs.
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Trauma. When you bump or hit your tooth, it can cause bleeding of the dental pulp within the tooth. This bleeding can result in a discolored tooth that requires a root canal treatment.
Solutions for Tooth Discoloration
Several treatment options exist for tooth discoloration, depending on the cause. Some extrinsic staining responds to at-home treatments. For intrinsic staining and more complex extrinsic staining, you need professional dental care. Depending on what causes your discoloration, one or more of the following treatments can give you a whiter smile.
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Improve oral hygiene
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Avoid tobacco products
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Brush and floss soon after staining foods and drinks
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Have regular professional teeth cleaning
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Use at-home teeth whitening products
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Ask your dentist about professional teeth whitening
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Have dental bonding placed on surface discolorations
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Have porcelain dental veneers on severely stained front teeth
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Porcelain dental crowns can protect teeth from damage and restore their white appearance
Book Appointment
To help you get a beautiful white smile, schedule an appointment with Trident General Dentistry today!