Accumulated stains on your teeth lead to teeth discoloration, which can greatly impact your confidence levels and the way you choose to smile. The accumulated teeth stains develop gradually, which can be easily overlooked until the color becomes darker. According to our dental specialists, many factors lead to accumulated stains on your teeth, but we have narrowed down the 5 leading factors among them.
Food and Drink
Your eating and drinking pattern plays a great role in leading to accumulated stains on your teeth- as they are part of your daily routine. Certain types of food and drink can move into the outer layer of your tooth structure and cause accumulated stains.
Highly pigmented food like berries and tomatoes causes easy teeth stains. Similarly, a diet high in sugar like chocolates, candy, popsicles, and other sugary chewing gum can welcome bacteria into your mouth, causing accumulated teeth stains.
On the other hand, colored drinks like red wine and caffeinated drinks like coffee and black tea can accumulate teeth stains over time. Even Colas and sugary sports drinks can have the same staining effect on your teeth.
Age and genetics
It’s natural for you to accumulate teeth stains as you age. This is because aging causes your teeth to become more brittle, allowing staining or yellowing to occur. In addition, as you age, your tooth enamel becomes thinner, which makes the yellow dentin show through easily.
Sometimes depending on your genetics, you can inherit teeth that stain more easily than average or result from having an inherently yellow enamel.
Injuries or dental trauma
Your teeth can have discoloration due to a severe shock or trauma after an accident or injury. A tooth injury or a traumatized tooth can cause more often gray or black discolorations in adults and yellow or brown in children. But in such an instance, only the damaged tooth will most likely accumulate discoloration. If you suspect a tooth has experienced trauma, see your dentist and get it checked out.
Smoking
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to many – smoking accumulates teeth stains. All tobacco products from cigarettes to pipe smoke can accumulate teeth stains and turn them darker over time.
It’s also believed that there is a high prevalence of accumulated teeth stains among smokers over non-smokers. This can very well be one reason why there is a high dissatisfaction among smokers with the appearance of their teeth.
Medications
Certain medications, especially antibiotics that you take, can also be factors that cause accumulated stains on your teeth. Tetracycline and Doxycycline are antibiotics that can stain the teeth of children below 8 – whose teeth are still developing.
Medications for high blood pressure, antipsychotic medications, or even some antihistamines can cause a staining effect on your teeth.
Similarly, mouth rinses or washes that have chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride can also lead to accumulated stains on your teeth.
Teeth whitening is the most common cosmetic dental procedure sought by people to remove the accumulated stains or discolorations on the teeth. At the American advanced dental clinic, we are dedicated to a range of dental services to cater to your dental issues. American Dental Clinic is unique and distinctive because we incorporate skill, experience, and technology under one roof to give you a perfect smile you always wanted.