Dental Health and Tooth Discoloration – Elite Dental Care Tracy

Dental health is one of the essential ingredients for healthy living!!!
A prescribed lifestyle, adoption, and practice of good habits favour your oral and overall health.
Poor oral care leads to many dental issues, and tooth discoloration is one of them which happens due to many reasons.
But hurrah!!, there are viable treatments to whiten the teeth and sustain your beautiful smile.
Afterall flawless smile is what everybody wishes for, which is not possible with the odd coloured teeth as it reduces the self-esteem of an individual and affects his life.

What is the discoloration of teeth?
It is a result of stains on the layers of teeth layers due to various reasons.
Before we get to know about the reasons, let’s look into the types of tooth discoloration and their treatments.
Doctors have identified these stains into three types, and the treatments vary accordingly.

Types:

Extrinsic discoloration:

The outer and the protective layer “enamel” of the tooth changes its color, that is, the stains form on the surface of the tooth on the top layer. A pigmented residue from food or drinks forms a layer of protein and discolours the enamel of the tooth.
The habit of tobacco, the excess and frequent consumption of coffee, tea, wine, or soft drinks causes the extrinsic stains on the tooth.
Regular dental clean-ups and usage of teeth whitening products are the treatments.

Intrinsic discoloration:

The staining of the second layer called dentin, which is present below the enamel, is Intrinsic discoloration.
Remained food debris particles pass through enamel and stain up the dentin layer, which is a bit tricky to treat.
To clean up these stains, you require professional help to bleach. Homemade mixtures for bleaching can whiten the teeth and vanish the intrinsic stains.

Age-related colour change:

When we get older, the tooth discolours naturally because the enamel of the teeth gets thinner and uncovers the inner layer dentin. As the dentin is in yellow, the color of the teeth appears to be yellow.
In the older age, tooth changes its colour due to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors.

Reasons:
Several habits in your routine and oral hygiene plays a vital role and can be the reasons for the change in the colour of the tooth.

poor dental health
Food Habits

Food habits:
Consumption of excessive sugary products, coffee, tea, coloured foods, starchy foods, Tobacco products, smoking, drinking alcohol, change the colour of the teeth.

Poor Dental Health:
Top 5 dental health practices that change the colour of the tooth:

Medications:

Few antibiotics like tetracycline, doxycycline discolour the teeth of children under eight.
These antibiotics also affect children’s teeth development.
Drugs like antihistamines, antipsychotics prescribed to adults for high blood pressure affects the color of the teeth.
A few types of mouthwashes, chewing gums, etc., affects your teeth color due to the presence of acidic chemicals in them.

Poor dental hygiene:

Irregular flossing and inadequate brushing of the teeth build up plaque, bacteria, cavities, etc. in between the teeth. If these are untreated, the teeth change color and hence cause discoloration.
To avoid the accumulation of bacteria or cavities, schedule regular dental appointments for professional cleaning.

Diseases and treatments:

Several infections during the pregnancy discolour the tooth of pregnant mothers.
A few cancer treatments like chemotherapy, hand, and neck radiation affect the hard layer enamel and the second layer dentin results in the tooth colour change.

Genetics and Trauma:

Genetics: A few people face this issue due to hereditary, though they have oral hygiene, that is, healthy enamel and teeth
Trauma: A sudden fall from heights either in childhood or in adult age, cause trauma, which affects the tooth and might result in the colour change of the tooth.

Advancing age and Environment:

Aging:
As you grow older, the enamel of the teeth thins and worn away and exposes the natural yellow colour of dentin and tooth colour changes to yellow.
Environmental causes:
Consumption of excessive fluoride through environmental sources like water or usage of excessive fluoride through rinses, mouthwashes, toothpaste, fluoride supplements, etc.

To avoid/treat the discoloration, here are a few tips to follow.
They can vary depending upon the reasons and their intensity.

Lessen or avoid the consumption of coloured foods.
Brush twice a day and floss regularly with proper care.
Schedule regular dental visits for professional check-ups and cleaning.
Use home remedies like bleaching for whitening the teeth.
Used fluoride-rich professional dental products suggested by your doctor.
Bonding, transparent dental braces, or Invisalign braces to cover your coloured teeth and retain your beautiful smile on the face.

If you see your teeth changing colour, immediately consult your dentist and get the treatment accordingly.
Proper oral care and regular dental check-ups can avoid the discoloration of the tooth and make your smile beautiful.
A beautiful smile creates opportunities, builds trustworthy relationships, and makes your life blissful, and worth living.
Put some hard work for oral discipline and live a happy life with shining and healthy teeth.
To conclude, healthy teeth lead to a happy living with a ravishing smile!!!