Teeth Staining

Most of us strive for white teeth and associate them with good health. Though usually, that is not the case. The two different kinds of teeth staining, intrinsic and extrinsic can make your teeth look less pearly white over time.

Extrinsic Stains

Just as it sounds, these occur on the surface or outer layer of the tooth. Stains on your outer enamel typically begin because of highly pigmented drinks. The pigments from these drinks sit on your enamel and stain it. The good news is that this type of stain can usually be treated through good oral hygiene, regular brushing, and whitening toothpastes or strips. Whitening tooth paste and white strips can be bought at drugs stores in low doses of peroxide.

Intrinsic Stains

Contrarily, intrinsic stains occur below the surface of your teeth. This is due to particles making their way through the exterior of your tooth and accumulating in your enamel and dentin. These stains are harder to remove and typically require professional whitening or consistent white strip use.

Causes for Intrinsic Stains

As we said, there is a multitude of drinks that seem to cause staining, yet some fruits such as blueberries and cranberries as well as beets do too. Tobacco use is also proven to leave stains on your teeth, not to mention other side effects. Some medications and medical treatments or procedures can change the color of your teeth as well.

Avoiding Teeth Stains

The use of straws can help avoid high pigment drinks like coffee, soda, red wine, cranberry juice and tomato juice from staining the front of your teeth. Also, the basics – ensure that you are brushing and flossing at least twice a day along with using antibacterial mouthwash.

If you notice you teeth becoming dull, or would like to talk about treatments we offer for stained teeth such as professional use white strips, tray bleaching and porcelain veneers contact us.