What Is It tooth discoloration?
- Extrinsic discoloration: This occurs when the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel) is stained by smoking, coffee, wine, cola or other drinks and foods.
- Intrinsic discoloration This is when the inner structure of the tooth darkens or gets a yellow tint. Causes include excessive exposure to fluoride during early childhood, the maternal use of tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy and the use of tetracycline antibiotics in children 8 years old or younger.
- Age-related discoloration: This is a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. In addition to stains caused by foods or smoking, the dentin naturally yellows over time. The enamel that covers the teeth gets thinner with age. Sometimes when the nerve of the tooth has been damaged the tooth can change its colour.
- In rare cases, children with a condition called dentinogenesis imperfecta are born with gray, amber or purple discolorations.
Your teeth can become discolored by stains on the surface or by changes in the tooth material. Dentists divide discoloration into three main categories:
How can I prevent discoloration of my teeth?
- Brushing your teeth after every meal will help to prevent some stains. Dentists recommend that you rinse your mouth with water after having wine, coffee or other drinks or foods that can stain your teeth.
- Regular cleanings by a dental hygienist also will help to prevent surface stains.
- Intrinsic stains, that are caused by damage to a nerve or blood vessel in the inner part of a tooth, can be prevented by having root canal treatment. However, teeth that undergo root canal treatment may darken anyway.
- To prevent intrinsic stains in children, avoid water that contains a high fluoride concentration. You can check the concentration of fluoride in your drinking water supply by calling the public health department.
How can I improve the appearance of discolored teeth?
- Discoloration can often be removed by applying a bleaching agent to the enamel of the teeth. With a technique called "power bleaching," the dentist applies a light-activated bleaching gel that causes the teeth to get significantly whiter in about 30 to 45 minutes. Several follow-up treatments may be needed.
- It's also possible to remove discoloration with an at-home bleaching gel and a mouth guard given to you by your dentist. The bleaching gels designed for use at home are not as strong as those applied by your dentist, so the process takes longer, usually two to four weeks. Whitening toothpastes may remove minor stains, but they are not very effective in most cases.
- If you have had a root canal and the tooth has darkened, your dentist may apply a bleaching material to the inside of the tooth.
- When a tooth has been chipped or badly damaged or when stains do not respond to bleaching, your dentist may recommend covering the discolored areas. This can be done with a composite, that is colour-matched to the surrounding tooth. Another option is to get veneers, which are thin shells of ceramic that cover the outer surfaces of the teeth.