A Look at Staining

Laser teeth whitening is a useful treatment for removing stains from teeth, but it can be helpful to know a little bit about where the stains come from in the first place, in order to fully understand the procedure. Most patients are probably just anxious to get rid of them, but learning about our own role in the tooth discolouration can help prevent the problem re-occurring in the future. Of course, not all outside elements can be avoided, but there are some things that we can cut down on to keep our teeth their whitest.

Are all stains the same?

There are two main types of discolouration, and some other stand-alone causes that accelerate the staining process. Whether your individual circumstances fit into one category or the other, doesn’t really affect suitability for laser whitening treatment, most types of staining can be dealt with using bleaching gel and a curing light. The only teeth that can’t be whitened are synthetic ones, such as crowns or dental bridges, the bleach is capable of soaking into the enamel to break down discolouration, man-made materials don’t have the same structure and so won’t react in the same way. It may also be necessary to undergo several treatments if the staining is severe.

The first type of tooth discolouration is called extrinsic, essentially describing stains that take hold of the outside enamel layer. This is quite a common complaint among adults in the UK, and it’s caused by consumption of food and drink with dark colours in them, such as coffee or red wine. Superficial staining that occurs following a meal can be easily removed with a quick brush, but if the colorants are allowed to build up over time, it will be much harder to remove. Whitening toothpaste is often too harsh for the enamel and will only serve to roughen the surface, rather than break down the dark molecules. This is why laser teeth whitening is such a useful treatment, even numerous layers of staining can be removed.

Intrinsic discolouration is the opposite of extrinsic because it comes from inside the tooth. Typical intrinsic stains are grey, brown, or yellow. They are impossible to remove with toothpastes or heavy brushing, because they aren’t caused by outside elements – like eating or smoking. Certain medications or health conditions can affect the growth of the tooth and change its colour even before it has erupted from the gum line. The only way to return the teeth to a natural looking whiteness is to invest in a whitening treatment, you can do this at home, but it’s usually much more successful when performed by a dental professional.

What elements cause intrinsic and extrinsic staining?

There is a long list of things that can cause both types of staining, but the most prevalent is probably what food we put in our mouths and how we clean our teeth after eating. A typical case of extrinsic staining will be the result of drinking and eating products that the white enamel is not strong enough to repel. Smoking is a particularly detrimental habit, the nicotine stains the teeth a nasty yellow colour, whilst the tar manages to turn a beautiful smile into an ugly brown eyesore. Quitting smoking is invariably a good idea, but the chemicals have already done the damage if you’ve smoked for an extended period. A teeth whitening treatment should be able to get rid of unpleasant nicotine stains, but brushing alone won’t do the job.

Occasionally, the amalgam contained in metal fillings can react badly with the minerals in teeth, leading to black or grey areas on the surface. Even if they are usually located in the molars at the back of the mouth, most people would agree it’s not a desirable outcome from having a filling fitted. Composite fillings might not be as hard wearing as their amalgam counterparts, but they don’t have the same problem with dark stains.

Some antiseptic mouthwashes have also been known to cause extrinsic staining, in the form of yellow or brown discoloured areas. The chlorhexidine used to kill infectious bacteria after a dental procedure is too strong for the enamel to resist and it’s absorbed into the surface of the tooth, with prolonged use.

Intrinsic stains are slightly more complicated, they are caused by a number of elements relating to the body’s general health. A common cause of discolouration in permanent teeth is trauma before or during their growth. Children who knock their baby teeth out or damage the root may find that their adult teeth have a discolouration when they come through; this is because there has been some disruption between the nerves and the growth of the mineral layers. They may appear to be darker in shade, or have a pink or yellow tint. Other injuries and dental procedures that cause the tooth to die – such as a root canal treatment – will make it look darker than the remaining teeth.

Most people will tell you that fluoride is good for you, and it is, in moderation. Too much fluoride will show up in chalky white spots on the tooth’s surface that can’t be brushed away, the only way to deal with this is to undergo a laser teeth whitening procedure, even though the bleach can’t get rid of the white spots, it lightens the rest of the teeth to the same degree, so they are less noticeable.

With some patients, it’s simply the aging process that causes their teeth to lose the natural white shine they had in their youth, but don’t worry, whitening gel is highly effective on this type of stain as well. If you’re not sure what’s causing your teeth to become stained or discoloured, speak to a professional at the Pearl Dental Clinic, they will able to examine your lifestyle and eating habits, to eliminate what’s causing the problem.