Teeth stains and discoloration are fairly normal, but that doesn’t mean they’re something to ignore. There are lots of factors that can cause teeth discoloration, lots of reasons to get your teeth checked out, and plenty of things you can do to reverse it.
In this piece, we’ll explore the different kinds of light and dark stains on teeth, what they mean, and how you can treat them. At Living Well Dental, we believe in empowering you to make informed decisions.
What Is Tooth Discoloration?
Tooth discoloration is generally defined by whole teeth or areas of individual teeth changing color, or general staining between teeth. Rather than being a natural white or ivory color, there might be dark or yellow discoloration.
Discoloration between teeth is fairly common, with most people experiencing it at some point in their life. It can be caused by many things, and experts have identified three main kinds of tooth discoloration. These are:
Intrinsic Tooth Stains
An intrinsic tooth stain is caused by damage or changes to the structure of the tooth from the inside. They may also be caused by particles getting through the exterior layers of your tooth and entering your tooth enamel.
Using too much fluoride is a common cause of intrinsic tooth stains, weakening the exterior layers and allowing stain-causing particles to get through.
Extrinsic Teeth Stains
An extrinsic tooth stain is something that occurs on the surface of the tooth. When you’re considering yellow teeth causes, it’s probably extrinsic. That means it has been caused by external factors, like drinking coffee and tea, smoking cigarettes, or drinking wine and sugary drinks, and that the stains are on the outer layers of the tooth.
Things like tea or coffee stains on teeth respond well to professional dental cleanings and can be removed from your teeth. The dental hygienists at Living Well Dental Group have specialized tools they can use on your teeth to remove any extrinsic stains. Getting regular dental cleanings can prevent extrinsic stains from incorporating into your tooth structure and becoming more difficult or costly to remove.
Age-Related Teeth Stains
As we age, our teeth are subject to both extrinsic and intrinsic tooth stains that build up over time. Combined with the fact that the interior tissue of the teeth, known as “dentin,” naturally yellows over time and the layers of enamel protecting the teeth become thinner, discoloration tends to get worse and worse.
Tooth Discoloration Causes
The three main kinds of tooth discoloration can be condensed, for the most part, down to the following causes of discoloration.
Vitamin Deficiency
Tooth discoloration from vitamin deficiency often occurs in people who don’t get enough vitamin D. Without exposure to sunlight or other sources of this vitamin, the dentin that forms the core of the teeth cannot fully regenerate and build new layers. When combined with a thinning of the exterior layers of enamel, it causes an intrinsic tooth stain.
Food and Drink
Tea stains are perhaps the most common way that food and drink cause discoloration, but a wide variety of substances can have the same effect. Drinking lots of coffee without brushing afterward, drinking wine, or even eating balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, curries, and other pigment-rich foods can cause staining on the protective film around the teeth.
Smoking
Cigarettes contain tar and nicotine, and when combined with the heat of the smoke, these substances cause stubborn yellow stains on the teeth. This can build up very quickly and if not properly managed, can cause substantial staining over time.
Trauma, Damage, or Disease
Trauma, damage, or disease can all cause structural changes to the inside of the teeth. Therefore, tooth trauma discoloration can be harder to treat. Chipped tooth discoloration works in the same way, and sometimes also indicates an infection.
Braces
Sometimes, people experience small indentations or white patches on their teeth caused by braces. Stained teeth like this require professional treatment to remove those marks and restore an even color.
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment and medicines can cause changes in teeth. For instance, some antibiotics cause teeth discoloration in young children. Various medications from simple antihistamines to more serious treatments like chemotherapy can also cause discoloration.
Tooth Discoloration Causes Based on Color
- Black Lines
A black line stain on teeth typically indicates the build-up of tartar around the teeth.
- Orange Stains
Orange stains on teeth usually occur on the gum line and are a result of the build-up of bacteria or food.
- Grey Stains
When tooth discoloration is grey, it typically suggests your teeth have been damaged through trauma. This is particularly common in children.
- Dark Stains
Dark stains on teeth are usually a result of drinking tea, coffee, or wine, or perhaps even smoking. The stains get darker if tartar is allowed to build up and you don’t properly brush or care for your teeth each morning and night.
- Yellow Stains
One yellow teeth reason is not properly cleaning teeth after eating foods that are high in tannins. Oftentimes, yellow stains on teeth can be removed with an improved dental hygiene plan and the use of whitening toothpaste.
- Discoloration Between Teeth
Discoloration between the teeth may be caused by a build-up of tartar, but may also signal wine-stained teeth – meaning that a stain-causing food has simply become trapped between the teeth.
How Common Are Discolored or Stained Teeth?
Having stained teeth is nothing to be ashamed of because it happens to most people at some point in their life! From medication and trauma to the inevitable effects of aging, most people experience tooth discoloration and it can be resolved in lots of ways.
How to Get Rid of Stains On Teeth
Want to know how to remove stains from teeth? Here are important considerations.
Improve Your Daily Cleaning Routine and Schedule a Professional Dental Cleaning
This is how to remove yellow stains from teeth, but it can also help remove dark stains between the teeth and more. By cleaning stained teeth more frequently, and flossing more, you remove the staining particles from the outer layers of your teeth. It’s also great for your gum health.
Cut Back On High-Tannin Food and Drink
Cutting back on stain-causing foods that are rich in tannin will help prevent stains, and will make it easier to clean your teeth every day.
Whiten your teeth in just 20 minutes with Sinsational Smile
This treatment includes 20 minutes of teeth whitening with our accelerating light and a take-home kit to further extend your brighter smile.
Same-Day Smile Makeover
Instantly whiten your smile with our Same Day Smile Makeover. With the use of CEREC crowns, we can give you your brightest smile in just one visit.
Speak to a Professional
Speaking to a professional dentist, including our team here at Living Well Dental, ensures you get the right treatment for your teeth. We’re always happy to discuss every option open to you, and the safest way to brighten your teeth without causing damage.
Speak to Naperville’s Dental Experts to Find Out More
Find out more about how to treat stained teeth, and how you could brighten your smile while keeping your teeth healthy and strong, by talking to the Living Well Dental team.
We’re always happy to provide advice or get you booked for a consultation. We’ll have your teeth white and bright in no time!
Call today on 630-505-1516 or schedule an appointment right here on our website.
