What Causes Tooth Staining?

[Ahmed]

Hello

I see my dentist and hygienist every 6 months for dental checkup and cleaning but yet my teeth are always very stained. I use an electric toothbrush and change the brush head regularly. I have never smoked and try to floss every day but yet my teeth are still so stained.

What causes tooth staining? Is there anything that I can do to minimize the stains appearing on my teeth? Do you think teeth whitening could help? If teeth whitening could help, which type of whitening treatment do you recommend?

If I go for teeth whitening, how long will it be able to keep the stains off my teeth. Is teeth whitening a permanent solution or a temporary solution for removal of teeth stains?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Ahmed,

Thank you for your post. Tooth staining can be caused by many factors. The main cause of stains on teeth is our diet. Highly coloured foods and drinks like coffee, tea and curries can stain teeth. Habits such as smoking also stain teeth. Poor oral hygiene and irregular hygiene visits also cause tooth staining.

As we get older and the teeth mature they also appear more stained and this is due to the natural ageing process. If a tooth dies due to bacterial infection or trauma it can discolour. Certain fillings such as silver fillings can also stain the teeth.

To minimise stains forming on teeth I recommend regular hygiene visits and good oral hygiene including daily mouthwash use. Teeth whitening is a very effective and safe treatment for removing inside stains on teeth and reversing the ageing process. I recommend home teeth whitening or combination whitening.

Teeth whitening on average lasts from 3 months upto 2 years. All teeth whitening treatments are not permanent and to maintain the whiteness monthly touch-up treatments should be done.

[jhonny]

but do you prefer to have a teeth whitening gel or strips?

[JulieAdam]

There are several reasons that cause tooth staining:

Age: There is a direct correlation between tooth color and age. Over the years, teeth darken as a result of wear and tear and stain accumulation. Teenagers will likely experience immediate, dramatic results from whitening. In the twenties, as the teeth begin to show a yellow cast, teeth-whitening may require a little more effort. By the forties, the yellow gives way to brown and more maintenance may be called for. By the fifties, the teeth have absorbed a host of stubborn stains which can prove difficult (but not impossible) to remove.

Starting color: We are all equipped with an inborn tooth color that ranges from yellow-brownish to greenish-grey, and intensifies over time. Yellow-brown is generally more responsive to bleaching than green-grey.

Translucency and thinness: These are also genetic traits that become more pronounced with age. While all teeth show some translucency, those that are opaque and thick have an advantage: they appear lighter in color, show more sparkle and are responsive to bleaching. Teeth that are thinner and more transparent — most notably the front teeth — have less of the pigment that is necessary for bleaching. According to cosmetic dentists, transparency is the only condition that cannot be corrected by any form of teeth whitening.

Eating habits: The habitual consumption of red wine, coffee, tea, cola, carrots, oranges and other deeply-colored beverages and foods causes considerable staining over the years. In addition, acidic foods such as citrus fruits and vinegar contribute to enamel erosion. As a result, the surface becomes more transparent and more of the yellow-colored dentin shows through.

Smoking habits: Nicotine leaves brownish deposits which slowly soak into the tooth structure and cause intrinsic discoloration.

Drugs / chemicals: Tetracycline usage during tooth formation produces dark grey or brown ribbon stains which are very difficult to remove. Excessive consumption of fluoride causes fluorosis and associated areas of white mottling.

Grinding: Most frequently caused by stress, teeth grinding (gnashing, bruxing, etc.) can add to micro-cracking in the teeth and can cause the biting edges to darken.

Trauma: Falls and other injuries can produce sizable cracks in the teeth, which collect large amounts of stains and debris.