Think of a bright white smile that exudes confidence with every laugh or smile. Your teeth are one of the most visible parts of your bright, white smile. Most people, including you, want to have white teeth with the help of a dentist near you, but sometimes they just get stained, taking on sad colours like yellow, brown, or even blue.
Let’s explore some common causes of tooth staining.
1. Foods And Drinks
DIET: Food and beverages mostly cause staining on the teeth over time. Some chief causes are:
- Coffee and Tea: contain tannins, which cause staining.
- Pop and Sports Drinks: most commonly contain acids and dyes that discolour one’s teeth.
- Red Wine: Much like coffee and tea, red wine contains staining tannins.
- Berries and Other Colourful Foods: Blueberries, cherries, and beets all contain highly pigmented molecules that adhere to the teeth.
Do your best to avoid this category of food and drink, or brush your teeth after eating any.
2. Use of Tobacco
Poor teeth colouring, and hence appearance, may be a result of cigarette smoking or chewing of tobacco products. These particular products contain tar besides nicotine, a product that leads to teeth staining either yellow or brown. Quitting smoking and avoiding tobacco can give you white teeth and greatly boost your body’s health.
3. Poor dental hygiene
Tooth discoloration can be a result of poor dental hygiene, including brushing or finding time to floss. When you do not clean your teeth properly, there is a buildup of plaque and tartar. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria forming on some teeth, and it will harden to form tartar, which is more rigid.
Both plaque and tartar can cause your teeth to look yellow or brown. To maintain good dental hygiene, brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, and visit your dentist in SW Calgary for regular check-ups and cleanings.
4. Aging
Our teeth darken with age. The enamel on the surface of our teeth becomes thinner with age, and, in turn, reveals the yellow dentin.
In addition to this, the wearing out of the enamel makes our teeth gradually become translucent, which indicates non-white teeth. While we cannot stop aging, we can definitely try our best to postpone it by taking good care of our teeth.
5. Systematic Medications
There are systematic medications that cause the discoloration of teeth, such as:
- Rehashing cure: At times, antibiotics like tetracycline and doxycycline can cause teeth to become yellow or even grey. This phenomenon is especially common in young children, who make a lot of use of such drugs.
- Antihistamines and Blood Pressure Medications: Surely, these can cause tooth discoloration too.
If you are concerned that specific drugs will result in tooth staining, raise this issue with either your physician or your dentist. It may be possible that they can offer you other medications or even remove such staining by recommending that you seek teeth whitening near you.
6. Genetics
Sometimes, the colour of the teeth is purely hereditary. If your parent has naturally dark or yellow teeth, it can pass on to you as a generic trait. Genetics will also affect the thickness and strength of the enamel, thereby affecting the tooth’s appearance.
7. Trauma
Your teeth can get discoloured from injuries. For example, if you get hit in the mouth and your tooth gets damaged, it may turn grey or brown, which is because of internal bleeding or nerve damage inside the tooth. Wearing a mouth guard during sports and being careful can help prevent these types of injuries.
8. Fluorosis
Fluoride eliminates cavities efficiently, but excessive application can lead to an abnormality called fluorosis, which is responsible for the birth of white or brown discolorations on one’s teeth.
It usually happens in children when they consume excessive fluoride at the time when their teeth are being formed. Proper application of fluoride toothpaste and not swallowing the paste can easily prevent fluorosis.
Atlas Dental Centre Can Help You Whiten Your Teeth
A little bit of effort and some good habits will keep your teeth white and healthy. These simple tips can help you maintain a great smile that you will be proud to show off. Remember, good dental hygiene, as well as smart choices with food and beverages, do much to prevent tooth discoloration.
If you think that your tooth discoloration needs professional intervention, do not hesitate to consult our in-house dentist at Atlas Dental Centre. Our dental team is an expert in providing teeth whitening in SW Calgary. With our professional whitening services, many patients have dazzled their smiles again.
Ready for a healthier smile? Book your appointment today and let us help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted!
