Do you have stained, yellowed, or discolored teeth? Are you looking for the best ways to brighten your smile? Our office helps patients whiten their smile with our professional whitening treatments.
Here we will discuss common causes of discoloration and how patients can address tooth discoloration in our Cockeysville, MD, dental office. We want our patients to achieve the smile of their dreams with our cosmetic dental treatments.
What Causes Tooth Discoloration?
Many common things can cause staining, including:
- Diet: Some foods and beverages contain chromogens. These compounds easily stain the enamel. Wine, coffee, tea, berries, and tomato sauce can stain teeth over time.
- Tobacco: Smoking, vaping, and using other tobacco products can yellow the enamel as well as cause problems like bad breath and slower healing times.
- Tooth Damage: Chipped, cracked, and fractured teeth expose dentin, the dark underlayer beneath the enamel. Dentin can cause single injured teeth to appear darker.
- Poor Oral Hygiene: Stains from certain foods and plaque can build up on teeth if patients do not floss and brush regularly.
- Medications: Antihistamines, antipsychotics, and antihypertensive medications can discolor tooth enamel. Please let us know if you take any medications as they can affect your oral health.
- Aging: The outer tooth enamel often wears away with age, exposing the darker dentin beneath.
Contact our office if you notice a change in the appearance of your smile and want brighter, whiter teeth. We work with patients to create custom treatments that fit their goals, budget, and current cosmetic needs.
The Science Behind Tooth Staining
Tooth stains can come from outside or inside your teeth. Surface stains happen when colorful foods and drinks like coffee, tea, or wine leave behind tiny color particles that stick to your teeth. These stains first cling to the thin film that naturally coats your teeth, and over time they can sink deeper into tiny holes in your enamel.
Some stains start from inside the tooth. Certain medicines like tetracycline antibiotics can cause gray or brown streaks if taken while teeth are still forming. Too much fluoride as a child might lead to white spots (fluorosis). Even tooth injuries can cause inner staining if blood gets into the tooth’s inner layer. Knowing what kind of stain you have helps your dentist choose the best way to whiten your smile.
Preventing Future Discoloration
After getting your teeth whitened, you’ll want to protect your investment. Small changes can make a difference in keeping stains away. Try drinking dark beverages like coffee or soda through a straw, because this helps bypass your front teeth. Swishing with water after meals washes away stain-causing particles before they set in.
Coming in for regular cleanings every six months removes new stains before they become permanent. Your dentist can also provide custom take-home whitening trays for occasional touch-ups. An electric toothbrush often does a better job removing surface stains than manual brushing.
If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for both your health and your smile’s whiteness. Be careful with popular internet hacks like brushing with lemon juice or baking soda. These can actually scrub away your protective enamel and make staining worse over time. Your dental team knows your teeth best and can give you personalized advice for keeping your smile its brightest.
Teeth Whitening Solutions in Cockeysville, MD
Our dental office provides in-office and take-home teeth whitening treatments. Our in-office treatment with Venus White MAX uses a highly concentrated whitening gel that we place on cleaned teeth. Treatment consists of 3 to 4 15-minute treatments. After we apply the gel, we wait for the active ingredients to penetrate the enamel. Then, we remove the gel and repeat the process.
Patients who want to whiten their teeth in their own home benefit from take-home whitening treatment. Patients who choose in-office treatment can also touch up their results at home. For this treatment, we create custom-made whitening trays using dental impressions. Once these trays are complete, we provide patients with the trays and whitening gel. Patients will place the gel evenly in the trays and wear them for a certain amount of time.
Dental crowns and veneers can help patients who have intrinsic stains within a tooth or teeth. Intrinsic stains do not respond to whitening treatment and need other cosmetic or restorative care. Porcelain veneers can cover the front of teeth and cover all the teeth in the smile line. Dental crowns also cover teeth and also help patients who have tooth damage or wear.
Do you want to whiten your natural smile? Schedule a dental appointment at Valley Dental Health online or call our office at 443-733-6613. Please let us know if you have any questions about whitening treatment, and we can help.