Dealing With Stained Teeth: What To Know

You would have to be living in a cave not to have noticed the trend toward whiter and whiter teeth. Celebrities and your next door neighbor may have little in common except those dazzling white teeth. If your teeth are stained, you may be naturally feeling left behind and concerned. While stained teeth are not necessarily unhealthy or harmful, they could affect your self-confidence and cause you to be reluctant to smile and be friendly with others. If you are tired of being embarrassed about your smile, read on to find out the scoop on what causes those stains and how to deal with them.

Why Are My Teeth Stained? The reasons for stains on teeth can be as varied as the person who has them. A great deal can depend on your lifestyle choices. If you smoke, for example, your teeth can appear darker than normal over time. Here are some other common triggers for stained teeth:

• Medications – Everything from antibiotics to blood pressure medication can stain the teeth.
• Bad oral hygiene and lack of professional cleanings
• Eating foods like berries and red sauces like salsas, curries, and tomato.
• Drinking red wine, tea, coffee, and dark soft drinks.
• Braces – When the braces are removed, the teeth might appear to be stained since the area under the braces did not benefit from cleaning and the use of whiteners.

What Can Be Done for Stained Teeth? No matter what caused the stains on your teeth, they can be removed or at least be made less noticeable. Unfortunately, none of the below fixes are permanent, particularly if you continue with the same habits and lifestyle choices as you had beforehand. The approach you take to address your stained teeth depends on several factors, such as your dental health. If you have underlying oral health issues like cavities, broken teeth, or periodontal disease, these must be addressed before you begin to whiten your teeth. Once you have resolved other issues, have a professional cleaning before you embark on whitening. Another consideration to be aware of is the tendency for teeth whitening products and procedures to worsen sensitive teeth. Discuss the sensitive teeth issue with your dentist. Several options for whitening your teeth are available:

1. Whitening toothpastes work to gradually remove stains when you brush regularly.
2. Whitening strips are available over-the-counter and are applied daily.
3. Bleaching performed by your dentist with an application of a special dental gel containing peroxide.
4. Trays and solutions for at-home bleaching provided by your dentist.

Speak to dentists at clinics like Today's Dental Care to learn more about how to alleviate your teeth stains.