Have you ever wondered why your teeth turn yellow or darken? Wouldn’t you like to know how to prevent this? In this article, you can find all the answers.
Our teeth change color because they gain stains on their surface or they undergo internal changes.
There are three different tooth discoloration categories:
A. Extrinsic discoloration:
When the outer layer of the tooth (enamel) is colored. This can happen from smoking, drinking coffee, wine, soft drinks, and many other drinks and foods.
B. Intrinsic discoloration:
When the internal structure of the tooth (dentin) darkens or gets a yellow tint.
This can happen if:
1)Have you been exposed, more than you should, to fluoride from an early age?
2)Your mother used antibiotic tetracycline during the second half of pregnancy.
3)You used tetracycline antibiotics when you were at a younger age.
4)Did you injure a tooth when you were young?
A fall, for example, can hurt the development of your permanent teeth.
5)Injure to a permanent tooth and internal bleeding caused discoloration.
6)You were born with a rare condition that affects the creation of dentin (dentinogenesis imperfecta).
This causes gray, orange, or purple discoloration.
C.Discoloration of dentin due to aging:
Dentin is becoming more and more yellow over time. The enamel that covers the teeth becomes thinner and as a result dentin is visible.
PREVENTION
Brushing your teeth each day is what will save you. A useful tip is to rinse your mouth with water after each meal, coffee, wine, or other beverages and foods that can stain your teeth.
When the problem is intrinsic discoloration reason due to the destruction of some nerve or vessel, prevention, in certain cases, is accomplished by endodontic treatment of the tooth. Thereby removing the inside of the tooth before acquiring decay and darkening. To prevent discoloration in children’s teeth, do not exaggerate their exposure to fluoride.
TREATMENT
First of all, proper dental care is what contributes significantly to the reduction of pigments from the surface of the teeth (brushing, flossing, mouthwash). After that, you should undergo professional dental cleaning when advised to, and you can even proceed to teeth whitening, which can be achieved in various ways, I will analyze this matter extensively in another article.
Now that you know the reasons that cause teeth staining or discoloration make sure to be even more careful and you will get the smile of your dreams! 🙂
Athina Tsiorva