What might be the Reason for Stains and Discolorations to Your Tooth?

There are some common occurrences on the teeth such as stains and discolorations that might occur due to several reasons. The positive news is that you can treat as well as prevent thee stains. Go through the blog post to know about the causes of tooth discolorations and stains and how you can maintain whiter teeth.

Different kinds of stains

Tooth discoloration treatment belongs to three different categories and they are – intrinsic, extrinsic and age-related.

• Extrinsic – In case of extrinsic tooth discoloration, it is quite probable that the stains may affect tooth enamel only or the tooth surface. Common causes are the following:
  1. food
  2. tobacco
  3. beverages
• Intrinsic – This kind of stain is there inside your tooth which makes it highly resistant to over-the-counter whitening products. Some examples of intrinsic stains consist of:
  1. tooth decay
  2. certain medications
  3. injury or trauma to a tooth
  4. genetics
  5. too much fluoride
• Age-related – As you tend to grow old, the teeth enamel starts wearing away that usually causes yellow appearance. So, age-related discoloration might occur due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

What may lead to discoloration of teeth?

Discoloration occurs due to what you eat, drink, tooth injuries and aging.

Foods, drinks and tobacco

Certain foods and drinks might shift into the outer layer of tooth structure and cause stain to the teeth. Some reasons behind stains to your tooth are:

• Tea
• Coffee
• Red wine
• red sauces
• chocolate

Tobacco used in cigarettes or for chewing tobacco may lead to tooth discoloration.

Age, antibiotics and injuries

With age, the teeth may get more brittle that enable yellowing or staining to take place.

When tooth injuries are the major cause of your problem, the damaged tooth may become dark.

Stains due to color

If you want to know the reason behind your tooth discoloration, then these insights may lead to surface stains on the teeth.

• Yellow. People who are addicted to smoking or chewing tobacco may cause yellow stains on the teeth. This occurs due to:
  1. beverages such as coffee, tea or red wine
  2. improper dental hygiene
  3. a diet that has a higher amount of simple sugars
  4. certain medications
  5. severe dry mouth
• Brown. Discoloration or brown spots might have several reasons and common causes are:
  1. use of tobacco
  2. some beverages like coffee, tea, red wine and cola
  3. accumulation of tartar
  4. fruits such as – blackberries, blueberries and pomegranates
  5. untreated tooth decay
• White. If there is a cavity, then this may be a reason for white spot on the tooth which becomes darker as it gets advanced. Having too much fluoride might produce whiter spots on the teeth.
• Black. A black stain may occur due to:
•  advanced dental cavity
• Crowns and fillings with silver sulfide
• Iron supplements
• Purple. Patients who take wine daily have more of purple undertone to their teeth.

How can you eliminate stains?

• In-office treatment. The dentist uses a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide for whitening teeth in comparison to at-home products. In-office teeth whitening treatment can work efficiently and the effects generally last longer than other procedures.
• At-home treatments from the dentist. Some dentists prepare customised trays to use on the teeth at home. You need to add a gel to the tray and wear it on the teeth for almost 1 hour a day, or as has been suggested by the dentist. You are advised to wear the aligner trays for a few weeks in order to attain the most desired results.
• Over-the-counter products. Whitening strips and toothpastes can help to lessen surface stains, but they are not that effective on intrinsic stains that have been placed inside the teeth.

It is advised that you go for routine checkups from the dentist as mouth cleanings may help to lessen the appearance of unwanted spots and stains.

When should you visit a dentist?

If there is some change in your teeth color, it is suggested that you seek your doctor’s advice immediately. When the stains get very deep and no over-the-counter whitening agents can remove stains, then this might be something serious. When you have one discolored tooth, it might occur due to some cavity or an injury to the inside part of your tooth. Thus, the sooner these problems can be treated by the dentist, the better the result will be. In order to keep your teeth healthy, visit a dentist for two times in a year during routine checkups. When the treatment is done at an early stage, it may avoid the problem from getting severe.

How can you prevent tooth discoloration?

• Take care of your teeth after eating pigmented foods: When you need to eat pigmented food or drinks, it is suggested that you brush and floss thoroughly once you are done with them. Try to swish or drink water to get rid of small food particles that may cause staining of the teeth.
• Practice the habit of improved oral health: You should brush at least two times a day, floss daily, use water Flosser and rinse mouth thoroughly. These are good sources of reducing unwanted stains in between the teeth.
• Change your daily habits: When you chew tobacco or smoke, your doctor will ask you to stop them for the time being. If it is really difficult for you to do so, then take a toothbrush so that you may be proactive in keeping the teeth free from stains.

Tooth discoloration is quite common and might occur to anyone due to several reasons. It usually happens due to pigmented foods and beverages with tobacco products such as cigars, cigarettes or chew tobacco. The stains which appear on your tooth surface may be removed or decreased after performing whitening method. You may see a dentist or use over-the-counter products for getting treated.

The stains or discolorations which appear on your teeth are called intrinsic stains and they occur due to injury, tooth decay or some medication. Your dentist will give advice on the right treatment course to get rid of these unwanted stains. Thus, you can visit at www.london-teeth-whitening.co.uk to book a free consultation and advice from the dentists.