Whenever you watch your favorite movie, TV show, or internet personality, you notice how lovely their smiles are. Their pearly whites are almost always bright white and healthy-looking. As hard as you’ve tried to achieve a similar look, it’s proven to be harder than you thought it would be. Though there are ways to improve the look of a stained smile, what could be causing the discoloration in the first place? Read on to learn about three types of tooth stains, how they can occur, and what your dentist can do to help you remedy the issue.
Type #1: Extrinsic Discoloration
This superficial discoloration affects the enamel, which is the outermost layer of one’s teeth. Extrinsic stains can be caused by using tobacco products as well as consuming dark or highly pigmented foods and drinks like coffee, berries, cola, red wine, or tea. Regular dental cleanings can often remove these stains. Brushing with whitening toothpaste can also be effective, but be sure to use it in moderation to avoid enamel damage.
Type #2: Intrinsic Discoloration
This means that the stains are located inside of the tooth, which makes it much harder to remove them with strips, toothpaste, and other store-bought whitening products. These types of tooth stains can make the teeth look a grayish hue. Certain medications, fluoride overexposure, trauma to the tooth, tooth decay, injuries, or genetic factors lead to intrinsic discoloration. Professional whitening services may be necessary to remove these stains.
Type #3: Age-related Discoloration
Our protective tooth enamel begins to wear away as we get older. This leaves the naturally yellow dentin of one’s teeth exposed. The tooth becoming less translucent with time also makes it look darker than before. These kinds of stains are usually caused by a mixture of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which may include eating and drinking certain things as well as tobacco use.
3 Ways Your Dentist Can Brighten Your Smile
Though there are several things that can lead to tooth stains, your dentist can help. A few methods they might use to either remove stains or cover them up include:
- Porcelain veneers – These thin shells cover the entire front part of a tooth and can correct a range of issues, including discoloration.
- Dental crowns – If the discoloration is caused by decay, you may need to get a dental crown after having the tooth worked on to preserve both its function and appearance. These caps are shaped like teeth and completely cover the visible part of them.
- Dental bonding – This can correct similar issues as veneers and uses a composite material to cover stains.
- Teeth whitening – This treatment lifts stains from your smile to make it appear brighter.
As you can see, there are several types of tooth stains. Speak with your dentist about having them removed to improve the look of your smile in no time!
About the Practice
At Chisholm Trail Dental Health, patients are treated with the compassion and quality care they deserve. They offer services such as dental bonding, porcelain veneers, whitening, and dental crowns to correct cosmetic issues caused by discoloration. Do you want more information on types of tooth stains or are you interested in scheduling an appointment with Chisholm Trail Dental Health’s talented Round Rock team? If so, call their office at (512) 244-2796 or visit their website.