Ending embarrassment: Discolored teeth

Key Takeaways:

• External tooth staining can come from a variety of sources, like smoking, coffee, and soda. It can also be the result of the aging process.
• Nerve issues can cause red or black staining.
• Talk to your dentist before starting at-home or professional whitening.
• Practicing good oral hygiene can help keep teeth white.

As the lyrics of the song go, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” 

But what if you’re too embarrassed to smile because your teeth are discolored?

In part one, we talked about tips to prevent bad breath.

For this part, we’re going to discuss how to keep your pearly whites as pearly white as you can.

What causes tooth discoloration?

Staining or discoloration of teeth can happen for a variety of reasons. 

External staining from coffee, tea, soda, or smoking can all be indications of external staining.

The part of the tooth behind the enamel is known as the dentin, and it’s a buttery yellow color. As we age, our enamel gets a little bit thinner, and the dentin shines through. That’s why it can appear more yellow or gray as we age. 

If your teeth turn dark, or black, or even red, that can indicate an issue with the nerve of the tooth.

So, our teeth can discolor and stain for different reasons.

What treatment options are available?

Having good oral hygiene at home and then good maintenance visits with your hygienist can really help.

They do have at-home whitening and professional whitening as well. I feel it’s best to check with your dentist before you start some of those products. 

If you have gum disease, maybe some recession, crowns, bridges, implants, fillings, and things like that, those aren’t going to whiten with at-home whitening. It’s much better to have a dentist see if whitening products are best for you.

At the end of the day, good oral hygiene at home makes a huge difference with your teeth being white.

Is there anything I can do to prevent staining or discoloration?

If you’re going to drink soda pop, coffee, tea, and things like that, rinsing your mouth out with water right after drinking can be super helpful. Not sipping on those things all day long can help cut down on you getting stained teeth. 

When we don’t have as much plaque on our teeth, then that stain doesn’t seem to adhere as much.

Keeping your teeth nice and clean makes a big difference with staining.

At what point should I seek professional treatment?

A dentist needs to treat stained teeth when it’s not just external staining. When we start to see teeth turning black or even red sometimes, that’s an indication something’s going on with the nerve of the tooth, which is not just typical extrinsic staining. That’s when a dentist really needs to evaluate you.

Prevention is key to good oral – and overall – health 

Finding a dental home is incredibly important. Finding someone you trust and getting established with comprehensive care is huge. 

Managing dental emergencies becomes more challenging when you don’t have a dental home. But if you are an established patient, accessing the care you need is easier, and we can treat you efficiently.

We would love for you to be established with a dental home, whether it’s here at WVU Dental and our faculty practice, our resident clinics, our student clinics, or one of the great practitioners in your town. 

Having that dental home is really important for not just your oral health, but your general health.