Teeth Staining

In this day and age we're exposed on a daily basis to a number substances like tea, coffee, smoke, cola and acidic juices. Substances such as these can make keeping your teeth white and healthy looking very difficult. Your teeth don't start off completely white and most teeth tend to have a tinge of yellow. The natural colour of your teeth has a tendency to darken as you age due to using them constantly. This happens due to the fact that the enamel on the surface gradually erodes over time and cracks begin to forum. This in turn exposes the inner part of your tooth, the dentin which is much more porous than the enamel and more prone to absorbing the pigmentation or colours of certain foods. Stains can also use plaque to grip onto teeth and stain them that way. Stains and other discolouration can also be caused by trauma to the mouth or medical conditions which can affect the development of your teeth during pregnancy or early childhood. Stains come in two main types Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Extrinsic stains are commonly caused by a low level of oral hygiene, food and drinks, iron tablets and certain types of antibiotics. Intrinsic stains are usually due to excessive exposure to fluoride or the use of tetracycline antibiotics in children. Smoking and tooth decay can be the root cause of both intrinsic and extrinsic stains.

If your teeth are excessively discoloured then you may need to seek professional help with whitening. But if your staining isn't severe there's a number of things you can do to help protect your teeth and prevent further staining. For instance, rinsing your mouth out with water after every meal is encouraged, this can help dilute the damaged caused by beverages like coffee or cola as well as food debris. If it's not practical for you to go and rinse out your mouth, simply swill some water around and then swallow. Most dentists agree that it's best to try to brush your teeth following every meal and there's a number of products on the market which can promote great oral hygiene. Mouthwashes and electric toothbrushes can often be helpful in combating plaque but it's also important to brush correctly as being too vigorous can actually damage your teeth. It's also important to maintain a healthy diet with lots of 'crunchy' fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that foods such as this provide a gentle friction on the teeth which can help protect against staining. One of the biggest contributors to staining is smoke, so most dentists would encourage you to quit. Similarly it's important to limit the amount of caffeine and foods with heavy pigmentation you consume.

DIY Bleaching Kits

It's important to be very careful when using a DIY bleaching kit, as if used incorrectly they can cause serious damage to your mouth. Some products are very abrasive and along with removing stains they can damage the enamel in your teeth which in turn can lead to further discolouration. Research also suggests that use of these products may increase the danger posed by carcinogenic substances like smoke, and could potentially increase the risk of mouth cancer.

Some old fashioned whitening remedies include lemon juice, but it's important to note that due to it's high Vitamin C content, it can strip calcium from the teeth and damage them in a very short space of time. There's now a number of whitening toothpastes on the market and these are mostly thought to be safer than bleaches but be sure to pick a toothpaste from a reputable company.