Surprising Causes of Teeth Stains
Top Teeth Stainers
By Christina Parrella
Coffee and cigarettes are two major culprits of teeth discoloration, but there are a number of other surprising teeth tarnishers. To find out what may be keeping you from your whitest smile, look at this list of top causes of teeth stains and discoloration.
More Dental Health
Genetics and Aging
As you get older your teeth have less of a chance of staying paper white. Thats because the enamel of your teeth wears thin and the natural yellow or brown color underlying dentin layer shows through. You can also thank mom and dad for the intensity of the whiteness of your teeth -- some people just have naturally brighter or thicker enamel than others.
Medicine
Certain antibiotics and over the counter medications can dull your smile. Tetracycline can turn teeth yellow in small children and its derivative, minocycline, can cause a permanent bluish-gray stain in adults. Some antihistamines can also discolor teeth. Make an appointment with your dentist to discuss all the medications you take (prescription and otherwise) to find out the impact on your teeth and if, in some cases, there are other alternatives.
Dental Damage
Root canals are not only painful procedures, but over time trauma can cause a tooth to become discolored. Even damage to the teeth from an accident or fall can cause discoloration in both children and adults.
Dark Drinks
Coffee and tea are well-known teeth stainers, but many dark liquids, like fruit juice, red wine and soda can also turn teeth yellow. Even beer, which has acidic properties, can damage your smile. Swig some water around your mouth after drinking dark liquids to offset their staining power. Sipping your drinks through a straw can also help protect your front teeth.
Food
That handful of cherries youve been snacking on may be good for your health, but they can be bad for your teeth because heavily pigmented foods such as blueberries, cranberries and soy sauce quickly stain them. Brush your teeth as soon as you can after eating staining foods.
Bad Habits
Poor brushing techniques and forgetting to floss means stain-producing substances are not routinely removed from your teeth. Improper teeth care can also allow bacteria to build up on your teeth which can result in yellow and green stains.
Excessive Fluoride
Fluoride is generally good for your smile but too much of it can cause chalky white spots to appear on your teeth. People get too much fluoride from drinking water with high concentrations of fluoride or from excessive use of fluoride containing toothpastes and supplements. Overuse of some mouthwashes that have chloride in them can cause a yellow discoloration of your teeth.
More on Better Living
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▪Eat Yourself Healthy
Recent Comments
Seventeencats 12:56:05 AM May 01 2008
due to a sinus infection, it got down to the roots of one of my upper back molars so i had to have a root canal 'cause the dentist said the tooth root's were infected and i needed to have a root canal done. wow, the pain of the infection was horrid. but, after taking anitbiotics and getting over the infection and then sitting in the dental chair, i told the dentist i want no numbing shot. i never get them, never, ever, ever!! am a former army brat and after having those partially trained miltary dentists work on my teeth, i can take anything. the roots were still alive somewhat and all i felt was "heat", immense heat, not immemse pain. have had another one due to a filling falling out and taking part of the tooth. only "heat" was felt again on 100% live roots. there is no pain in dentisty, only babies. i had beautiful crowns put on those teeth and you'd never know they're weren't real.
PLAQUEJACK 10:55:04 PM Apr 30 2008
I AM A DENTAL HYGIENIST AND THIS ARTICLE IS TRUE. THE ONLY THING I CAN ADD IS THAT ROOT CANALS SHOULD NOT HURT IF THE NERVE IS BLOCKED CORRECTLY.
DRSTANMAN 08:47:00 PM Apr 30 2008
One quick note about stained/discolored teeth - do not attempt routine stain removal by using baking soda in your toothpaste on a daily basis, it can and DOES cause enamel/dentin abrasive wear (even with a soft bristle toothbrush) and this leads to teeth that are hypersensitive to hot and cold, and also erosive notching and loss of tooth structure. As a practicing dentist for 30 years, I have seen countless cases of damage and sensitivity caused by the daily use of baking soda in toothpaste - so check your toothpaste NOW and make sure it does NOT contain baking soda... if so, please limit it's use to only 1X/week at the most.... stanley r manstof dds
Madisonhappy 08:16:39 PM Apr 30 2008
It is articles like this that will put people back into the dark ages when they thought they would fall off the earth if they got toclose to the edge. People need research anything before believing something is true. It is sad mos people would beleive something because they saw it on TV or the internet.
CHRISTE 68 06:17:33 PM Apr 30 2008
THIS IS THE MOST INCORRECT ARTICLE I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!!!!!! HOW IRRESPONSIBLE. THE AUTHOR OF THIS CRAP HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DENTISTRY I BET..... HOW FUSTRATING!!!! NOW BECAUSE OF THIS IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM, THE TALES CONTINUE.....LET ALONE ALL THE STUPID QUESTIONS US DENTAL PROFESSIONALS NOW HAVE TO ANSWER....
PINEY768 06:14:01 PM Apr 30 2008
I can't believe that Oral B wrote such a think on root canals. Most root canals can be done in one visit and most of the time they are pain free.l
LindzGurl27 05:33:04 PM Apr 30 2008
i smile just like that woman in picture 8 when i go to brush my teeth
ImpactMrkt 05:32:29 PM Apr 30 2008
LLS826 IS correct about everything said. We need more people reading
this to correct misleading propaganda.
Keep up your good work LLS.
WritergirlAD 05:21:12 PM Apr 30 2008
Flouride destroyed the enamel on my teeth permanently. They have white stains all over them and are transparent in some parts, all thanks to the government poisoning us with flouride. isn't the USA great?? I asked my dentist, but they said they can't do anything about it.
Sweeeeeeeetlady 05:02:40 PM Apr 30 2008
My grandson was prescibed a floride vitamin tablet and has improved his teeth LOTS! Thank Goodness for that Dr.s Knowledge!
: ) have a good day
