Do you ever look at someone’s stained teeth and wonder what exactly caused them to be that way? Or have you noticed that your teeth have seemingly become a yellow tint or developed white streaks?
The latter is commonly known as tooth discoloration. In this article, you’ll learn more about it and how you can prevent it.
Tooth discoloration happens when there are brown or black pits on the surface of the teeth. Sometimes, there are white streaks or yellow tinting on the surfaces as well.
Discoloration of the teeth can happen to both adults and children. Often, tooth discoloration contributes to low self-esteem as it affects the quality one’s smile greatly.
There are three known factors as to why tooth discoloration forms:
For instance, discoloration can form extrinsically, caused by consuming staining foods or beverages. The frequent consumption of coffee, tea, wine, and dark foods may be to blame for one’s tooth discoloration. Habitual smoking can also be an extrinsic cause of tooth discoloration.
There are also intrinsic factors. For instance, this might include the excessive exposure to fluoride at a young age or trauma from a fall that damages the tooth development permanently.
Naturally aging is a third known factor of tooth discoloration. As we get older, our dentin (a calcified tissue inside our teeth) yellows over time. At the same time, our enamel thins. Thus, this leaves the impression that the surface of our teeth are tinted yellow.
Avoiding Tooth Discoloration
Studies show that inadequate oral care is the main reason why tooth discoloration happens. Brushing less than recommended, not visiting the dentist every six months for a dental check-up, and using the same toothbrush for more than four months affects your oral hygiene more than you think.
Neglecting any of these can affect your overall dental hygiene as one thing leads to another. Do not look past the importance or proper oral care if you wish to avoid tooth discoloration and straining.
Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss religiously. Avoid drinking beverages that stain, especially those with caffeine or sugar; they stick to your teeth like a clingy baby.
If applicable, seek to stop smoking, I know, bad habits die hard, but try to chew gum each time you have this tendency to smoke. Chew sugar-free gum with xylitol to avoid feeding unnecessary sugar to the harmful bacteria in your oral cavity.
Lastly, be sure to visit your dentist! They are there to help you with any dental problems and will give you more information about proper dental care.
Remember, avoiding and eliminating tooth discoloration begins with what you do.