Teeth staining is a reality of most Americans’ lives. A lot of people are looking to improve the intensity of their smiles. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) conducted a study which concluded that most participants would ideally like to enhance the brightness of their smile. There has also been a massive boom in the teeth whitening industry recently. Staining is due to a variety of causes and can take place in different parts of your teeth. Get educated about teeth staining in time for your next dentist’s appointment.

Extrinsic Teeth Stains

Staining on the enamel

Extrinsic stains are the most common form of stains. These are the stains caused by things that come in contact with the outside of your teeth. Your enamel is affected by a variety of different foods and drinks. The most commonly known causes of stains are coffee, soda, red wine, red pasta sauce, and curry. Some teeth staining also comes from any kind of tobacco use. Since all of these products come in direct contact with your enamel, the pigment of these foods will hang around longer than invited. Though these stains are much more common, they are also easy to remove. Simply by using a whitening toothpaste, you will be able to decrease the amount of staining on your enamel.  You can even use a Brushee to brush away these everyday stains. As you brush the surface of your enamel, the intrinsic stains will be brushed away from your enamel and prevent permanent staining. There are also other options for getting rid of tooth enamel stains. At home whitening kits have become very popular and are proven to work very effectively. A whitening kit will provide a much more intense whitening process than whitening toothpaste, if the toothpaste is ineffective. As always, make sure to consult with your dentist before going forward with a whitening product.

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Intrinsic Teeth Stains

Staining in your dentin

Intrinsic teeth stains are the kind that affect the the sensitive tissue that lies just below your enamel. The layer beneath your teeth can sometimes take on a yellow or darker color. Should your enamel wear off to reveal this layer, it will give the appearance of stained teeth. Causes for this kind of staining are varied. Some causes can be exposure to tetracycline antibiotics during childhood or physical trauma to your teeth.

Toss the whitening toothpaste if you are serious about these kinds of stains. Since these stains develop underneath your enamel, at home remedies are unlikely to be effective. What can be useful in removing these stains are whitening kits or a professional dental treatment. Ask your dentist if they are able to recommend a kind of at home teeth whitener or schedule an appointment for a professional whitening.

If whitening isn’t your style, there are still options for combatting these kinds of stains. To further brighten your smile, there are methods to restore your teeth. Bonding or capping (crowning) are other methods for brightening teeth that can be administered by your dentist. Bonding involves your dental provider placing a tooth-colored composite resin to the surface of your teeth and then molding the new surface into the shape of your tooth! Once this has been completed, your smile becomes instantly whiter as the covering is applied. Crowning is a very similar process to bonding. Crowning involves placing a tooth-colored cap to cover the teeth staining. Though these methods are slightly more invasive, they have more consistent and enduring results for whiter teeth.

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Age-Related Tooth Discoloration

Natural teeth staining

Your teeth will change with you as you age. Unfortunately, this often involves the darkening of your teeth. As you age, your dentin gets darker and your enamel gets thinner to reveal the pigment of the dentin underneath. This eventual wearing down of the enamel will change the appearance of your teeth as a natural part of aging and not due to any outside factors.  

Since this is again a type of dentin related staining, it is most effective to use products that are able to reach the dentin in your teeth. You will likely need something a little more powerful than whitening toothpaste to improve age-related discoloration. Invest in a home whitening kit that will be able to improve the look of your smile at its cause. As always, be sure to consult with your dentist about possible avenues of treatment for age-related teeth staining.

Don’t stress over teeth stains! There are a lot of home remedies and professional treatments out there for teeth whitening. So dial up your smile, and talk to your dentist about the best treatment for you! Your teeth will be shining brighter in no time thanks to Brushee.