11 Most Common Causes of Discolored Teeth

Tooth Discoloration

 

Do you have discolored teeth or are your teeth not as white as they used to be and perhaps not as white as you would like them to be?

There is no doubt that Americans are concerned about the color of their teeth if the popularity of teeth whitening products is any indication to go buy.

Despite the fact that it might make us feel self-conscious, teeth discoloration is extremely common.

Several factors can cause your teeth to lose their luster. As many ways as there are to prevent teeth stains and yellowing from occurring, fortunately there are also ways to reverse them.

Anyone who wants a bright, white and healthy smile should understand these potential causes, since it allows you and your dentist to prevent and/or manage tooth stains together.

To help you understand what causes discolored teeth, here are eleven of the most common causes. These tips will help you maintain a healthy and beautiful smile.

Poor Oral hygiene

One of the major contributors to tooth discoloration is not brushing and flossing on a daily basis. The bacteria and food particles in your mouth can stick to your teeth if you don’t brush and floss regularly. This can cause tooth stains.

When you combine poor dental hygiene habits with any other factor on this list, you’ve created an oral environment ripe for stains.

Using Tobacco

Tobacco users have it tough when it comes to oral health and hygiene. Additionally to increasing your chances of gum disease, chewing or smoking tobacco will also accelerate your teeth’s yellowing.

Yellow stains on your teeth or yellow between teeth are often on the outermost layer of your teeth and can often be removed with whitening methods such as Cleaner Smile Teeth Whitening.

It is important to get your yellow teeth professionally whitened in order to return them to their natural color.

Various Foods and Beverages

Due to their high acidity, coffee, tea, wine, sodas, and some juices can all harm the whiteness of your teeth. It is even possible for healthy foods to stain, including apples, beets, blueberries, cherries, citrus fruits (oranges and lemons), cranberries, potatoes, raspberries, and tomatoes.

Brightly colored candy, popsicles, and other foods that could stain your clothes can also tarnish your teeth.

Iron Deficiency Stained Baby Teeth

The liquid iron supplements prescribed to children suffering from iron deficiency anemia are usually reddish brown in color. While these supplements can provide children with the iron they need, they can also stain their teeth, leaving them discolored and unsightly.

The Aging Process

The enamel on our teeth slowly wears away as we age. As a result, you can see the next layer (the dentin) of your tooth. Generally, as people age, their teeth appear yellower because the dentin is yellow in color.

Illnesses

The enamel of your teeth may be affected by certain medical conditions or pharmaceuticals, resulting in changes in their color.

Metabolic diseases, calcium deficiencies, liver diseases, rickets, eating disorders, and celiac disease are examples of these disorders.

Medication

Medications such as antihistamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and blood pressure medicines can lead to tooth discoloration. Stained teeth can also be caused by exposure to the antibiotics doxycycline and tetracycline or during fetal development or before the age of eight.

Medical treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation to the head and neck are no different. A number of oral rinses contain ingredients that can stain teeth, including chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride.

Dental Materials

You may notice a gray or black cast on your teeth after receiving amalgam restorations, especially if the restorations contain silver sulfide.

Genetics

People who are born lucky tend to maintain a bright smile and others, not so much. A lot depends on your genetics when it comes to the brightness, thickness, and color of your enamel.

Environment

During tooth formation, too much fluoride can cause fluorosis. Fluorosis looks like white spots on teeth caused by either excessive fluoride uses or exposure to excessive fluoride levels in water.

Trauma

If a tooth is chipped or otherwise damaged, its enamel can be damaged, causing discoloration. A child is most likely to suffer from this condition, but people of all ages can also suffer from it.

The Roads that Lead to a Hollywood Smile

As you now know the causes of discolored teeth, it’s time to discuss your options with your dentist. Cutting back on acidic drinks and quitting smoking will help, as will maintaining a proper oral health care routine, which includes daily brushing and flossing.

For other solutions to tooth discoloration, talk to your dentist about how you can maintain your pearly whites beyond these basic steps.

How Can Teeth be Whitened?

In order to whiten teeth, there are several treatment options available.

The types of whitening treatments vary, and not everyone is a candidate for all of them. Based on your stain type, you can expect your teeth to become several shades lighter.

It is important to remember that the FDA does not approve whitening products, so you should consult your dentist before using any whitener.

Is it Possible to Whiten Dental Restorations Such as Crowns and Veneers?

The materials used in dental restorations, including bonding, veneers, crowns, bridges, dentures or implants cannot be whitened since they are made from manmade materials.

Whitening is possible only on natural enamel teeth, and only if the problem is reversible.

The following options may be suggested by your dentist depending on the cause of discoloration.

At-home Whitening

• Drinks and foods that stain should be avoided. We can stain our teeth because of our habits.
• Teeth whiteners are available over-the-counter in the form of stick-on strips or tooth-shaped trays.
• LED teeth whitening kits are also available online to use in the comfort of your own home.
• Make sure you brush and floss your teeth every day. Even though you should be practicing good dental hygiene anyway, you can improve the appearance of your teeth if your habits usually aren’t as good as they should be.

Professional Teeth Whitening

• An in-office whitening procedure is performed by a dentist who uses professional whitening products and procedures. A hydrogen peroxide solution will be applied by your dentist. A special light and heat may be required to accelerate the bleaching process in some products.

Professionally available whiteners usually have a higher concentration of whitener, sometimes with desensitizers, and some type of custom tray to increase the adhesion of the whitener. An experienced dentist can perform the procedure safely.

• Dental bonding involves applying a white resin to your teeth and hardening it. Using the light, the resin is bonded to the tooth, improving its color and structure.
• Dental Crowns are used to cover, protect, and restore damaged teeth. They can also whiten teeth. You can ask your dentist to match the color of your crown with the color of your other teeth.
• Porcelain veneers are designed to improve the shape and color of your smile by covering the front of your teeth with porcelain.

In terms of size and thickness, they are about the size and thickness of a false fingernail. If you decide to choose veneers, your dentist will give you advice about biting into hard foods with your front teeth so as not to cause breakage.

How Safe and Effective is Natural Teeth Whitening at Home?

It is understandable that people want to try DIY home teeth whitening for discolored teeth. Whenever something works, is natural, and costs less, then it’s worth trying. Do you agree?

In order to see if these teeth whitening methods described in magazines and blogs really work, you need to ask yourself, “Do these tips really work?” “Does teeth whitening pose any health risks?” Most of the time, the answer is no to one or both of these questions, according to the American Dental Association.

Dos and Don’ts of DIY Teeth Whitening

Don’t try:

1. Fruit – it is delicious, but it isn’t kind on your teeth. Citric acid in fruit will destroy your enamel if you use it because it erodes it away. Save things that are naturally acidic like lemons, oranges, or apple cider vinegar for eating or cooking if the magazine or influencer tells you to use them. If exposed to citrus for a long time, your teeth will erode, and the enamel will be worn away.
2. Baking Soda – The Journal of the American Dental Association published a study which found that baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide or activated charcoal are ineffective in whitening teeth. The abrasive properties of baking soda wear away enamel, which is vital to the maintenance of white teeth. Dentin, a porous yellowish substance, will be exposed if you lose too much enamel. Your teeth can become yellower and more susceptible to staining and cavities as a result.
3. Coconut Oil and Turmeric – A variety of oils and spices have appeared online and in magazines promising to whiten your teeth naturally. Turmeric can’t brighten your teeth, nor can “oil pulling” (swishing coconut oil in your mouth) make them any whiter, according to the American Dental Association.

Do try:

1. You should brush your teeth twice a day, once when you wake up and once before you go to sleep.
2. To be safe, choose the right toothpaste. Choose a whitening toothpaste that has the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. In other words, it’s a dentist-approved product.
3. Make sure you floss between your teeth every day especially if you are wearing braces.
4. Foods and drinks that stain teeth, such as cola, coffee, tea, and red wine, should be limited.
5. You can prevent staining your front teeth by using a reusable straw to sip liquids.
6. When drinking acidic drinks or drinks that may stain your mouth, such as OJ, lemonade, coffee or red wine, afterwards drink water and rinse your mouth.
7. Smoking causes tobacco stains, so stop smoking to avoid them.
8. We recommend Red and blue light therapy.

 

What Can I Do to Prevent Tooth Discoloration?

The key to maintaining healthy teeth is to adopt healthy habits. It may be possible to prevent tooth discoloration with just a few simple lifestyle changes.

Coffee drinkers might want to cut back or find an alternative.

You should also seek help if you smoke, since smoking affects more than just your teeth.

Brush and floss your teeth daily and have regular check-ups and cleanings every six months to stay on top of your oral hygiene.

You should see your dentist if your teeth seem to have an abnormal discolored teeth, if teeth are still yellow after whitening or if other symptoms are also present, despite your best oral hygiene efforts.

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Disclaimer – This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about orthodontics and general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your orthodontist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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11 Most Common Causes of Discolored Teeth