Ask the Dental Experts
Our philosophy is to help our patients achieve and maintain exceptional dental health. We work hard to make sure that our level of care is deserving of our patients’ respect and confidence. Our tradition of preventive dentistry is the basis for all service and care in our practice. We welcome all questions and comments regarding dentistry in the hope that we increase your dental "IQ" and help you make better dental health decisions.Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Discolored Teeth
Q: What causes the discoloration of a tooth and what are some good ways to prevent it?
A: There are many things that can cause a tooth to become discolored.
Two things that intrinsically (inside the tooth) stain teeth are fluoride and tetracycline. Extremely high levels of fluoride in the drinking water can cause a tooth to became stained and discolored. Fluoride and Tetracline staining is caused byingestion of the tetracycline or high levels of fluoride in utero or up to age 10 or 12. Both the fluoride and the tetracycline get incorporated into the tooth structure during tooth development. This is what causes the tooth to become intrinsically stained. Most of the time the only way to correct this is to have the teeth veneered or crowned. Only in mild cases can the teeth be whitened by bleaching your teeth.
The other type of staining is extrinsic staining (on the surface of the tooth). There are many drinks and foods that can cause the type of staining. Tea, coke, and red wine are the major culprits. Good home care can help to minimize and prevent this type of staining from occurring. Bleaching your teeth can easily reverse this type of staining.
It is important for a person to have timely check ups and cleanings with their dentist. A professional cleaning can remove external stains and a patient cansee immediate results from this procedure. I invite you to call our office 888.790.0309 to schedule an appointment for a thorough evaluation. This is the first step in correcting your discoloration problem.
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