421 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604.

The Causes of Stained Teeth and How to Correct Them

Beautiful, white teeth can transform a person’s appearance and enhance their confidence tenfold. Unfortunately, our lifestyles and diets can cause our teeth to become discoloured and show yellow-brown stains. In this article, Titirangi Dental is taking a closer look at what causes stains on teeth and how we deal with them in our West Auckland dental clinic.

Understanding the Anatomy of Teeth

Each of your teeth consists of an inner dentin layer and a hard enamel layer on the outside which protects the teeth. Substances that we consume over the years can create another layer on top of the enamel that changes the white colour of teeth to a yellowish-brown.

Professional cleans and adequate dental hygiene can help to remove these stains as they appear. If left untreated over many years, stains can enter the porous surface of your enamel and become extremely difficult to remove without bleaching.

What Causes Stains on Teeth?

There are many causes of stained teeth that vary in severity and ease of treatment, including:

  • Foods and drinks – coffee, red wine, tea, cola and some fruits and vegetables can stain your teeth
  • Chewing or smoking tobacco
  • Poor dental hygiene – failing to brush, floss and rinse your teeth makes them more susceptible to stains
  • Diseases – certain diseases affect enamel and dentin, leading to discolouration (radiation and chemotherapy can also cause teeth to change colour)
  • Certain medications
  • Ageing – your enamel naturally wears away over time to show the natural colour of dentin
  • Excessive fluoride in water and products
  • Sudden trauma

Preventing Tooth Discolouration

There are simple lifestyle changes that you can make to prevent stains from forming on your teeth. Consider cutting back or quitting coffee if you’re a regular drinker – the same idea goes for smoking cigarettes.

You can improve your dental hygiene through brushing, flossing and using a recommended mouthwash every day. See your dentist every 6 months for a clean to remove any existing build-up of bacteria and stains.

How We Treat Stains on Teeth at Titirangi Dental

Professional teeth whitening treatments use bleach and other chemicals that enter the tooth enamel and set off an oxidation reaction that breaks apart the compounds that make up the stain. Book a consultation and we will ensure you are a good candidate for safe teeth whitening.

At Titirangi Dental, we offer two methods of safe and effective teeth whitening. You can either have the process completed in our dental clinic or choose take-home teeth whitening kits that have been specially formulated for you.

Speak to Titirangi Dental to get rid of those unappealing dental stains. Visit your West Auckland dental clinic by calling 09 817 6057 or contacting us online.