What Can Stain Your Teeth?

Teeth stain when the enamel of your teeth gets discolored. Even though brushing and flossing your teeth regularly can keep them clean, they still do need extra care from regular dental cleanings. During this appointment, your dentist will professionally clean your teeth, keeping plaque and tartar away.

Here are the various factors that stain your teeth:

Tobacco

Tobacco is one of the worst substances for your oral health. It increases your risk of gum disease, tooth loss, oral cancer, and even heart disease.

Cigarette smoking is the top cause of oral cancer. One in five cancer deaths is linked to cigarette smoking. If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important things you can do to prevent your teeth from staining and for your health.

Coffee

Coffee stains your teeth due to the tannins found in coffee. These tannins dissolve into your tooth enamel and cause a yellowish-brown tint. If you drink coffee often, your teeth will look more yellow.

However, coffee isn’t the only beverage that stains your teeth. You should also avoid soft drinks, tea, and red wine. Each of these beverages contains tannins that stain your teeth.

Nutrition

Nutrition can influence both your oral and overall health. First, it can affect your tooth enamel. Enamel is the outermost layer of your teeth. It is porous and susceptible to staining. Enamel can also become damaged from certain types of foods, including highly acidic food. You may also want to be careful with highly acidic drinks, such as soda. Soda, juice, and sports drinks are acidic and can harm your enamel.

Aging

Teeth do change as you age, so your risk level for staining may change, too.

As you age, your teeth may become more yellow, brown or gray. This can be due to medications you’re taking, tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, or the natural aging process.

While teeth whitening can help, more dramatic staining issues may require dental veneers.

Trauma

Traumatic injuries can cause damage to your teeth. A tooth that is knocked out, broken, or fractured may be more susceptible to staining. Since the surface of a tooth is porous, it can become discolored over time when exposed to staining agents such as coffee, tea, and tobacco.

Medications

Some medications can cause discoloration of your teeth. Some of these medications are antibiotics, antihistamines, blood pressure medication, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.

Medications that are typically prescribed to treat allergies can cause staining of your teeth. You can take extra precautions to prevent staining by rinsing your mouth out with water after using the medication.

Choo Choo City Dentistry, located in Chattanooga, TN, is equipped with the best dentists and modern technologies that enable the best dental care facilities for patients. Call us at (423) 756-0957 and schedule an appointment with the dentist to know more about the services provided at the dental practice.