At least once in our lives, we all have witnessed tooth staining. It is very unpleasant, with all its yellowish lines on the tooth and cracky appearance. A lot of things have been attributed to tooth staining, some of which may be natural as a part of aging. While some forms of teeth staining can not be helped, other reasons may be curable. Due to this reason, we have identified the main causes of tooth discoloration or tooth staining.
What are Extrinsic Teeth Stains?
Extrinsic teeth stains, as the name itself implies, are those which are found only on the outer layer of the tooth after long-term exposure to substances such as caffeine and alcohol. You may notice the yellow color on your tongue when you take tea or coffee. While the tongue is easily cleaned when you rinse your mouth after that, the same pigments of the caffeinated drink may still not be removed from the surface of your tooth. However, the good news is that since the stains are only extrinsic, they can be cured with the help of regular brushing, dental cleaning, and using fluoride mouthwash.
What about Intrinsic Teeth Stains?
Intrinsic teeth stains happen when you do not take regular care of your extrinsic teeth stains. When the extrinsic stains can work their way inside the tooth’s enamel, they become intrinsic teeth stains. Unlike extrinsic stains, these stains are also not easily removed and may only respond to certain artificial chemical solutions, such as White Strips.
Teeth-Staining as A Result of Aging
To understand this process, we must first understand what dentin is. Dentin is the foundation of your tooth. You may also refer to it as the tissue which supports the overall and allow you to eat everything you want. With time, the dentin becomes rugged, which is what causes the dentin to be discolored. Since it is inside the tooth and not visible externally, there are also no treatments for artificially whitening it. The enamel (the uppermost layer of your tooth) also becomes thin and weak as you age, which is why the dentin (the part of the tooth underneath the enamel) becomes visible to the naked eye. Moreover, as we age, pigmented foods and drinks also cause discoloration of the tooth.
If you are considering dental cleansing to make your teeth shine once again, contact us at Holman Family Dentistry and book an appointment today.
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