DR. PARUL KUMAR
Have you noticed your teeth aren’t as white as they used to be and maybe not as white as you’d like? There are many things that can make your teeth lose their luminosity.
But there are just as many ways to reverse teeth stains and prevent them from happening in the first place.
Here is some information and a few tips to keep your smile healthy and bright. What is tooth discoloration, one would ask.
The coronal portion of the tooth (the part of tooth visible in the oral cavity) is made of a substance called enamel which is the outermost covering of the tooth. The yellowish and more porous underlying enamel is called dentin and pulp is the innermost portion of the tooth.
Any change to these structures is likely to cause an alteration to the outward color of the tooth. Teeth may darken turn from white to different colors or develop white or dark spots.
There are the types of discoloration, and it can be extrinsic caused by something that stains the tooth surface.
It usually results from certain diets( e.g consumption of coffee, tea,wine,certain fruit or vegetable) and habits (e.g. tobacco betel nut, smoking,chewing or poor oral hygiene) It can be intrinsic caused by something inside the teeth or body.
It can happen before the eruption of teeth (pre-eruptive). Usually results from disease that affect the enamel/dentin
development or certain infections in pregnant mothers can cause teeth to discolor, or can happen after the eruption of teeth (post-eruptive) usually results from the aging process, dental caries, pulp necrosis, and some dental materials. It is equally intriguing to know about the color of the tooth and its indications. Well, Yellow tells you that as you age the white surface of enamel may wear down and thus the yellow core (dentin) becomes more visible. Brown, on the other hand says that tobacco and dark beverages like tea, coffee may cause teeth to turn brown.
Then White means that as young teeth develops, too much fluoride can cause white spots called fluorosis as a result of drinking excess fluoridated water or excess use of fluoride toothpaste.
Then Black tooth alarms you that decay or tooth pulp damage may turn the tooth black. Chewing betel nuts can also turn the teeth black. Exposure to minerals like iron, manganese or silver may create a black line on the teeth. Silver fillings (amalgam) can cause black discoloration.
Redening of tooth can cause trauma to the tooth can cause reddish tinge in the tooth. It’s not that all is lost, and there are ways to prevent tooth discoloration? First is to Brush your teeth for two minutes, first when you wake up and again before bed.
Then Floss between your teeth daily, while you must try to limit food and drinks that stain teeth such as coffee,tea or red wine. Always try and keep a clean reusable straw handy to sip liquids and prevent staining the teeth.
Drink water and rinse your mouth after drinks that contains acid and/or may stain like juice, coffee. Try and quit smoking at the earliest, and attend regular dental checkups and cleanings every six months.
There are certain foods you must avoid too including Acidic fruits or vinegar, activated charcoal or baking soda-hydrogen peroxide pastes, and Oils and spices. Treatment for discoloration includes Scaling and polishing, Microabrasion, Tooth bleaching, Dental veneers, Dental crowns, and Dental bonding which we shall explore more in coming weeks.
