What Are the Different Kinds of Tooth Stains and How Can I Get Rid of Them?

Everyone likes a clean, white smile, but teeth can stain for a variety of reasons. Food and drink choices, oral hygiene, and medication can cause discoloration on or beneath the surface of a tooth, and different stains may respond more favorably to different treatments. Here’s what you need to know about the different types of tooth stains and what your dentist can do to remove them.

Extrinsic Teeth Stains

Extrinsic stains occur on the surface of a tooth, resulting from colored particles such as dyes and pigments from food and drink accumulating in the protein layer covering the enamel. Common culprits include smoking tobacco and regularly drinking tea, coffee, colas, or wine. Brown stains on the surface of the tooth may be the result of tartar buildup. Extrinsic stains usually respond well to regular dental cleaning, excellent oral hygiene, and whitening toothpaste.

Intrinsic Teeth Stains

Intrinsic stains occur below the surface of the tooth when these same stain-causing particles penetrate the exterior and build up within the enamel layer. Intrinsic stains can also be caused by genetic conditions and certain medications. The use of tetracycline antibiotics in children has been linked to permanent tooth discoloration. Excessive use of fluoride is also known to cause these stains, especially in children. Intrinsic stains are deeper than normal oral hygiene can reach, but they usually respond well to professional whitening treatments from your dentist.

Age-Related Stains

Decades of use will inevitably begin to show on your teeth. This is in part due to the slow accumulation of intrinsic and extrinsic stains as well as the wearing away of your enamel. As the enamel layer becomes thinner, the yellowish color of the dentin beneath it will become more and more visible. Teeth whitening can be a viable solution in many of these cases.

Dental stains have frustrated the human race for thousands of years, but modern dental science has developed ways to address the problem. Consulting with your dentist can put you on the best path to your whitest smile.

About the Author

Dr. Daniel J. Berquist earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Indiana University’s School of Dentistry and has practiced since 2013. He provides gentle, compassionate dental services and finds great reward in developing long-term relationships with his patients. His office in La Porte, IN offers preventive, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry such as teeth whitening treatments. For more information on removing dental stains, contact his office online or dial (219) 362-8980.