The causes of teeth stains (and how to avoid them)

Sometimes when you look in the mirror, you might notice stains on your teeth that you didn’t have before. Where do these stains come from? In this month’s blog post, we’ll discuss the causes of teeth stains as well as what you can do to avoid stains in the future.

What causes teeth stains?

The causes of teeth stains include:

• Smoking is one of the main causes of stains due to the high level of chemicals in cigarettes.
• Coffee is another major cause of teeth stains. This is because coffee contains dark-coloured pigments that can easily become embedded in the ridges and cracks of your teeth.
• Certain foods and drinks, such as red wine, blueberries, beets, soy sauce and curries, can stain your teeth.
• Aging can make your teeth yellow. This is because our enamel becomes thinner as we age. This exposes the underlying dentin, which is a yellow colour. Although age-related discoloration isn’t technically a stain, it can still be disheartening to see your teeth becoming yellow as you get older.

Tips to avoid stains on your teeth

To avoid teeth stains, take these tips into consideration.

• Keep your teeth clean. It’s advisable to brush your teeth at least twice times a day and, if possible, with an electric toothbrush.
• Use a soft toothbrush. The use of a toothbrush with hard bristles can prematurely wear down the enamel on your teeth, which in turn makes the yellow dentin underneath more visible.
• Use floss. Teeth often get stained on the sides, which is due to plaque that builds up on the surface on the teeth. The daily use of floss will help prevent plaque from accumulating on your teeth and will therefore help to prevent stains.
• Stop smoking. It’s not easy, but giving up smoking will improve your smile and prevent you fromgetting smoker’s teeth.
• Control your diet. Reducing your consumption of certain foods and drinks will help reduce stains. These include tea, coffee, and wine.
• Drink with a straw. Drinking soft drinks, smoothies and fruit juices through a straw reduces your exposure to the staining substances in drinks.
• Get your teeth cleaned regularly. A professional teeth cleaning is an excellent way to remove stains and keep your mouth clean and healthy. For that reason, we recommend that you get your teeth cleaned regularly by your dentist.
• Avoid abrasion. Some people recommend brushing your teeth with baking soda as a way to remove stains and whiten your teeth. However, this is actually counter-productive, because baking soda is abrasive and will damage your enamel. This in turn will make your teeth yellow in the long-term because it makes the underlying dentin more visible. We also don’t recommend whitening toothpaste, as it can also damage your enamel.

What can I do about stains on my teeth?

Often, staining pigments become so embedded into your teeth that you can’t remove them by brushing. If this is the case, a dentist can perform a professional cleaning of your teeth to remove food and drinks stains. Contact us if this is something your interested in.

Do keep in mind that even the healthiest teeth are not always 100{f3cbf6ee4c2bf74284ff645d919e2d7444bc2ff84a9815f68a7ec3cea6db0d23} white. If you’re after white teeth, then you might want to consider a bleaching treatment. Bleaching brightens your teeth beyond their natural colour. This is also a service we offer at Headstone Lane Dental.

So, if you’ve noticed new stains on your teeth and you want to get rid of them, get in touch with Headstone Lane Dental. Our team of professionals will be more than happy to help you.