What causes stained and discoloured teeth?

And is there anything that can be done to keep your teeth white forever?

Some of us may have felt a small pang of jealousy when watching celebrities on TV. “How do they keep their teeth so white?” we might ask. There are a few ways that this might have happened as we will see later on in this blog. The main question we want to ask today though is why do our teeth discolour and is there anything that we can do to keep them white for as long as possible?

Some of the advice below will be fairly obvious to many of our Chelmsford patients, but there are probably a few things that might surprise you as well. Much of the blog looks at what causes tooth discolouration but we also look at solutions as well.

Setting expectations

In our peak years, we might feel that we are sailing through life with a great looking set of teeth. No issues and a lovely shade can make us really proud and confident when we smile. Like many aspects of our lives though, this almost pure whiteness is just a temporary phase and we will lose this over time. Much of this will happen naturally, as we will explain shortly, but there are certainly things that you can do now to slow the discolouration process down.

Common causes of staining

There are a number of things that can cause stained and discoloured teeth to occur much faster than if they had been avoided. Even if you don’t wish to avoid these altogether it is a good idea to cut down on them at least.

Tea and coffee are well known ‘teeth stainers’. The tannins in these can lead to quite dark staining if you are a heavy consumer. In many countries where coffee is a part of the culture, you often find that a glass of water is provided. This is a good practice for any tea and coffee drinkers to follow. When you have finished, swill water around the mouth as this will help to remove some of the staining at least. Red wine will also stain heavily as well and the same tip applies. Strongly coloured foods such as curries and soy sauce can stain teeth and should be limited if you want to maintain white teeth for as long as possible.

Smoking, and perhaps vaping, can also cause discolouration. Focussing on smoking, as opposed to vaping where less is known about its effects; this is an area where you should aim to quit altogether if possible. Not only will smoking badly stain your teeth but greatly increases the risk of cancers, including mouth cancer.

Fizzy soft drinks can also lead to staining even if they are clear themselves. This is because the acidity in them can damage the enamel tooth surface and cause it to become rough. This then allows staining products to attach much more easily. It goes without saying that, for all of the above, a good brushing and flossing regime is essential to minimise any discolouration as well.

Ageing

Completely avoiding all the above will certainly help you to keep your teeth whiter for longer but it doesn’t eliminate it altogether. Even if you are completely ‘pure’ in this respect, eventually you will notice that your teeth are not as white as they used to be. This is due to a natural part of ageing. What happens is not that the enamel itself darkens, but the layer beneath it; the dentin layer, starts to darken as we become older. As tooth enamel is translucent, this darker material starts to show through and no amount of brushing will change this.

There is good news for patients of Blue Sky Dental Chelmsford though as we will now see. Cosmetic dentistry can change this for you and restore your teeth to an attractive white shade as before.

Cosmetic dentistry solutions

There are two main cosmetic dental procedures that can be used to whiten teeth that have become discoloured and stained.

The first of these is the teeth whitening procedure. This is a non-invasive treatment that uses a form of bleaching agent to whiten the inner part of the tooth. This is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments available and is highly successful as well as being non-invasive and affordable too. Our ‘in home’ teeth whitening, combined with professional advice is both fast acting and highly effective.

The other main option is to have porcelain veneers fitted to the front of the affected teeth. This is generally used for more significant discolouration or where there is other damage to a tooth such as a small chip missing. This does require the removal of a fine layer from the front of the tooth, which is then replaced with a dental veneer in the shade of your choice. This can be a great option, especially for those who feel that their smile has gone forever.  Porcelain veneers can last for around ten years before they need to be replaced, as long as you look after them correctly. We will provide advice on this.

As you can see then, there is much that you can do to delay any discolouration, but also options available for you at our Chelmsford dentists to restore the whiteness when the time comes. If you would like to discover more about our teeth whitening treatments, please give Blue Sky Dental a call on 01245 211070 and we will arrange an appointment for you.