By Gentle Touch Dentistry Richardson
The bulk of cosmetic dentistry cases can be attributed to tooth discoloration. Therefore, measures to prevent your teeth from getting stained are perhaps among the most researched topics in the dental arena. Going deeper into the matter, one gets to reveal that some of our regular habits are actually responsible for this menace.
To enlist the most probable causes of tooth discoloration, the following needs an elaborate mention in this post.
Some Foods:
Simply speaking, foods that would permanently satin your white shirt would damage the color of your enamel too. Certain eatables such as berries, tomato sauces, soy source, coloured lollies, acidic foods and a range of others can stain your teeth when eaten in excess. In saying this, we do not recommend stopping eating these foods completely. Just be aware and consume in moderation, ensuring that your rinse/brush your teeth after meals.
Beverages:
Your regular addictions such as tea, coffee, sports drinks and even wine can cause staining. Carbonated soft drinks and sweetened fruit juices are equally contributory factors in case teeth staining. What is usually recommended is:
- Partial cutting down on drinking these beverages in excess
- Using a straw whenever possible and
- Washing the teeth after consumption
It must be carefully noted that drinking hot and cold liquids immediately one after the other allow stains to penetrate deeper into the teeth. This is because the reverses in temperature causes alternate expansion and contraction of the teeth enamel! So, do not rinse your mouth immediately after sipping in to a cup of simmering hot coffee. A few minutes’ gap needs to be necessarily maintained.
An Improper Dental Hygiene:
Quite naturally, if you do not brush and floss your teeth regularly, your teeth become prone to staining. This is because the bacteria settle down in your oral cavity, feeds on the left over food particles turning them into acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel thus making them lose their natural shine and luster in course of time.
Ageing:
Ageing leads to the wearing down of the teeth enamel. When the enamel wears down, your teeth starts getting discolored the same way as in case of poor oral health candidates. in this case, there are no significant preventive measures and services like teeth-whitening or veneers are the only set of solutions available.
Tobacco:
Both chewing and smoking tobacco causes tooth discoloration and should be avoided.
Some Physical Ailments and Medications:
The number of health hazards that may affect your tooth enamel are many. However, cancer affects the dental health of an individual significantly and the chemotherapy drugs plus the antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline are heavily responsible for darkening of your teeth.
Genetics:
Sometimes, simply your heredity is solely responsible for crooked, misaligned or even discolored teeth!
Just like the causes of tooth discoloration, the solutions are also many in number. Being the most common cosmetic issue nowadays, dental science is equipped with several measures to redo your discolored teeth, such as professional teeth whitening, lumineers, veneers and so on. You can discuss the options personally with your dentist and find out which method suits your dental condition as well as your budget!
