Worried that your smile isn’t as white as it used to be? You’re not alone. Tooth discoloration and stains on your teeth are common and can happen for a variety of reasons. The good news? Many of these stains are treatable and preventable.

First, let’s discuss tooth discoloration. There are three types:

• Extrinsic Teeth Stains: An extrinsic tooth stain is staining on the surface of the tooth. They are typically caused by smoking or by regularly drinking coffee and tea, wine or soda. This type of tooth stain responds well to regular dental cleaning, proper brushing, and the use of over-the-counter whitening toothpastes and rinses.

• Intrinsic Teeth Stains: An intrinsic tooth stain is staining below the surface of the tooth. An intrinsic tooth stain is harder to remove than an extrinsic one but it can be done, and may require professional bleaching.

• Age-Related Teeth Stains: Age-related teeth stains combine the results of both intrinsic and extrinsic tooth discoloration over time. Because the core tissue of your teeth, the dentin, naturally yellows over time, teeth discolor with age.

Treatment Options

The best way to treat stains on your teeth is to prevent them in the first place! Regular brushing, flossing, avoiding foods and drinks that are known to cause stains, and not smoking are the best ways to keep a white smile. But if you haven’t been the best at prevention, there are other treatment options for you. These include:

• Over-the-counter whitening toothpastes, rinses, and strips. These kits contain small amounts of peroxide-based formulas and typically work on more mild, extrinsic surface stains.

• Professional whitening, including laser teeth whitening. Professional whitening treatments typically include a stronger bleaching formula than over-the-counter kits, and usually use heat and/or light to speed up and intensify the whitening process.

• Dental Veneers. Veneers don’t remove the strains of discolored teeth but actually cover the surface of the tooth entirely. This is an option for patient’s that haven’t had any luck with other whitening options or need advanced treatment.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Interested in whitening your smile? Make an appointment with us today. A healthy, white smile is our goal and we’d love to help you explore all of the options!