Teeth Stains: Causes, Types, and Removal
Teeth stains or discoloration is a common complaint. Following article contains detailed information about teeth staining, their causes and how to remove them.
- Teeth Staining and its Types
- Causes of Teeth Staining
- Home Remedies
- Treatment and Prevention
1.
What are Teeth Stains?
There are many causes of surface stains in your teeth. Many different factors determine if you experience teeth staining like your dental hygiene and your efforts to minimize the effects of food that can normally cause tooth stains.
Discussed below are a few of the types of staining.
Types of Teeth Stains:
Based on the causes there are three types your teeth can be stained.
Extrinsic Teeth Stains:
This refers to the stains that happen on the outer layer of teeth i.e. enamel. The food particles with color when accumulate on the enamel, they produce tartar and eventually plaque which can cause discoloration of teeth. The plaque with these stained food particles gives an impression of discoloration, not the actual enamel layer.
There are certain foods that are most likely to cause tooth discoloration like tea, coffee, tobacco, blueberries, coca cola etc. If you take extremely good care of your dental hygiene, these are unlikely to happen as brushing with a good toothpaste and flossing will likely take care of it.
The stains of different colors on teeth represent different reasons why this particular discoloration occurs. These stains can be brown, yellow, green, orange and black.
Brown: This color is normally a sign of oral hygiene and they normally occur due to nicotine from cigarettes and other tobacco products, cola, tea, coffee, red wine, pomegranate, blue/blackberries and the formation of tartar. Tooth decay can also cause brown spots due to acid activity when sugary foods are consumed.
Black: These spots are less common and happen because of presence of iron in the saliva or the use of iron-containing oral solutions. A certain kind of reaction produces these black spots. Tartar buildup in some cases also produces black stains. Tooth decay can also be a reason.
Yellow: This is can be a result of poor dental hygiene and can be solved by brushing daily. It can also be because of worn enamel and exposed dentin which can color your teeth yellow accumulation of biofilm or plaque when food like tobacco is consumed.
Green and Orange: These stains are because of accumulation of chromogenic bacteria and fungi that accumulate because of poor hygiene.
As you can see, all these colored stains can be avoided by taking care of your oral health every day.
Intrinsic Teeth Stain:
Intrinsic staining is caused when erosion of enamel occurs and the stains steep deeper into layers of teeth. They can be of different colors like yellow, brown, grey or orange. Excessive use of fluoride is normally connected to intrinsic staining. Moreover, demineralization and hypocalcification can also cause intrinsic staining.
These stains cannot be removed by merely cleaning them every day. You will need professional help to get them cleaned through bleaching, teeth scaling or polishing. Some methods including tooth whitening products like strips or pastes can be used as well in some cases.
Age Related Stains:
With age, our teeth gradually discolor. The enamel gets thinner and exposes inner layers, like dentin, to the outside elements like the food you consume. It, certainly, is also worn down by many years of use and being under the influences of food and beverages that harm you enamel and other layers underneath.
2.
Causes of Teeth Stain
Food: Different types of food and drinks, sugary or otherwise, can stain your teeth. A few examples of food that causes discoloration include coffee, tea, cola, red wine, turmeric, blueberries, tobacco and many other. Any food containing artificial colors can also cause the same effect on your teeth.
Tartar buildup can cause tooth decay. The acid produced from tartar can bore a hole in your teeth causing dark colored decay holes. Therefore, tartar not just colors the teeth yellow but also causes black colored decay in teeth.
Having been made of artificial material, they respond to the environment in your mouth than your teeth. They can change in color with time and you might need to replace them. In certain types of dental work, the dentists recommend getting them replaced after a certain age.
3.
Home Remedies
A few home remedies can be used to improve you discolored teeth and prevent discoloration.
Brushing and Flossing:
Firstly, brushing flossing is very important to prevent discoloration. Brushing cleans 65% of your teeth and flossing does 35%. Therefore, it is important to brush and floss everyday to completely clean your teeth. This will remove plaque and tartar buildup and keep them from developing stains.
Baking Soda:
A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is considered a remedy for staining. One part baking soda and two part hydrogen peroxide will provide you with a mixture that you can use to clean your teeth. Make sure to rinse your mouth properly afterwards. You can also mix baking soda with water and use it to brush teeth.
Teeth Whitening Toothpastes:
Some teeth whitening options are available in the market that you do not need a prescription for like teeth whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes. These might contain compounds like hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxides etc.
Lemon and Orange Peels:
Rubbing orange and lemon peels on your teeth is considered to clean stains and whiten your teeth. Citric acid is believed to perform whitening action on teeth.
Apple Cider Vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar is considered to have whitening effect on teeth. Making a mouthwash with apple cider vinegar and using it regularly can help decrease yellowing teeth. Rinse your mouth afterwards with water.
Activated Charcoal:
Activated charcoal is known for its ability to absorb toxins and pigments. It performs the same function on teeth. Use a toothbrush to clean your teeth with charcoal and carefully rinse your mouth afterwards. You can also make a mouthwash or dab on your teeth to rinse later on.
Some research points out that it can wear off enamel and expose your teeth to more problems with time. Therefore, it is important to consult your dentist and get advice in this matter.
4.
Treatment
If discoloration is because of tartar buildup, you will be recommended to get your teeth professionally cleaned. In this process, the dentist cleans your teeth by removing tartar buildup. You see the importance of oral hygiene here, right? Brushing and flossing every day!
Your dentist can also use processes like dental bonding, whitening, dental crowns, veneers and other available Dental whitening in Sharjah practices. The solution depends on the condition of your teeth. If dark spots are because of teeth decay than crowns and veneers are the best options for you.
Prevention:
Preventing stains is simple and quite easy. Regular habit of brushing and flossing can set you up for great teeth throughout your life. Yes, it’s that simple. What you need to do is care for your oral hygiene everyday by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once.
If you consume food that is pigmented, make sure you clean your teeth right after having food. This habit will keep your teeth healthy, nice and pearly white over the years to come.
If you have a habit of smoking or consuming tobacco products, it is in your best interest that you quit smoking and consumption of other such products. This will not only help your teeth but also your overall health. Same goes for products like cola.
Takeaway:
The most resounding throughout this article has been, yes you know it, maintaining good oral hygiene. You will not need to go to your doctor on account of stains if you follow this advice. Maintain a habit of cleaning your teeth every day. If you are parents, make sure to inculcate this habit in your kids from a young age and they will be set for life.
