discoloured teeth

[Amanda]

I suffer from having discoloured teeth that have become this way despite very good cleaning and flossing on my part.

I see the dentist and hygienist every six months and I try to keep my teeth as clean as possible and yet my teeth are so discoloured.

Could discolouration of teeth be caused by what I drink? I drink red wine socially and I wonder if that has contributed to this discoloured teeth problem that I now have. Although this problem has gradually become worst and seems worst now that say last summer.

I would like to know if you think I should change my toothbrush/toothpate or see the hygienist more often or perhaps bleach my teeth to improve the colour of my teeth.

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thank you for your question.

Discolouration of teeth could be caused by the age process, it could be caused by consuming certain food and drink such as red wine and it could be caused by poor plaque control and inadequate cleaning.

Without seeing your teeth I could not tell you exactly what has caused you to have discoloured teeth but its possible that drinking red wine may have at least contributed to your teeth becoming discoloured.

The first stop for people who wish to have whiter looking teeth is to see their dentist and for a discussion regarding this matter.

Your dentist may recommend more hygiene sessions initially to see if this could resolve the problem. If the discoloured teeth problem persists then he/she may recommend professional teeth whitening to improve the shade of your teeth.

In my opinion, whitening should only be done by a professional dentist or under his/her supervision, as whitening carries risks and complications and the patient's teeth should be assessed well before teeth whitening is carried out. Teeth whitening usually helps to improve the shade of discoloured teeth pretty well.