June 15 2009
What Causes Your Teeth To Stain or Be Discolored?
Tooth staining is caused by a variety of factors. As a result, before you start the teeth whitening process it is important to understand the type of staining on your teeth. Most dentists will give you a thorough evaluation before any whitening treatment.
Generally tooth staining can be broken into three main categories:
Harsh Liquids: The most common causes of teeth staining are dark color liquids like soda, coffee, tea, and red wines. If you are a smoker then tobacco can be a devastating agent that discolors your teeth.
Generally all of the above staining agents will cause your teeth to look yellow or have a yellowish tent to them. In severe cases like with tobacco your teeth look brown. The level of staining on your teeth is directly correlated to the frequency in which you use the above staining agents.
Age: As you get older you are more susceptible to having your teeth be stained because the tooth enamel becomes thinner which can show more of the darker calcified tissue underneath your teeth.
Medication: Some medications have the side effect of staining your teeth or making them have a darker finish. One of the most common medications known for teeth staining is the antibiotic tetracycline. Tetracycline is a very common antibiotic uses for a variety of treatments. For teenagers it can sometimes be used to treat ache. If tetracycline is taken by children when their teeth are forming it can affect the color. Therefore caution should be used when administering tetracycline to younger children.
Another form of chemical that causes staining is fluoride if a child gets an excessive amount of fluoride during the ages of 1 to 8 years old. Too much fluoride causes a defect in the enamel known as fluorosis. Fluorosis does not make your teeth weaker. It is only an intrinsic staining of your teeth. Sometimes bleaching can be done to resolve fluorosis but normally for mild fluorosis a dentist will have to do microabrasion.
If you are considering whitening, it will work best if you teeth staining is a result of harsh liquids. But if it is a result of age or medications you should consult your dentist before treatment.
