Discoloured teeth can make you feel self-conscious and reluctant to share your smile. Whether from age, illness, diet, or smoking, teeth can become stained over time, and these stains can’t be removed with brushing alone.
Depending on the cause and severity of your tooth discolouration, several treatments are available to whiten your teeth. Discover how to whiten teeth and the steps you can take to keep your smile pearly white.
What Causes Tooth Staining?
Numerous factors can cause tooth discolouration. Some medications such as antihistamines, antihypertensive, and antipsychotic drugs can cause intrinsic tooth stains that cannot be removed by teeth whitening treatments.
Amalgam and porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) dental restorations can give your teeth a greyish cast if the gums begin to recede or the tooth enamel layer wears down. The only way to whiten your teeth in these cases is by replacing the restoration.
However, the primary causes of tooth stains are diet, using tobacco products, and poor oral hygiene. Tobacco, and some foods and beverages, such as coffee, red wine, and tomato-based sauces, contain dark pigments. These compounds can penetrate your tooth’s enamel causing grey or yellow teeth. The best way to eliminate these staining compounds is with regular oral hygiene.
The dark pigments become trapped in a thin film that forms on your teeth when you eat called the pellicle layer. If this layer is not removed with daily brushing and flossing, it leaves your tooth enamel exposed to the pigments. Prolonged exposure allows the pigments to absorb into your porous tooth enamel leading to yellow teeth stains.
The best way to whiten teeth is with a professional teeth whitening treatment at your dentist’s practice.
Professional Whitening Treatment
Professional teeth whitening uses highly concentrated bleaching agents, such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to lift and disperse surface stains. The hydrogen peroxide undergoes an oxidation reaction in your mouth, producing oxygen molecules that penetrate your tooth enamel and break down staining compounds to whiten your teeth.
Before your professional tooth whitening treatment, your dentist performs a deep cleaning and scaling procedure to remove built-up plaque and tartar (a hard yellow calculus that can cause enamel damage). They also examine your teeth and gums for signs of gum disease or decay. These conditions need to be treated before you can receive a teeth whitening treatment.
During your teeth whitening treatment, your dentist applies a rubber shield to your gums to form a protective barrier against irritation due to the whitening bleach. They then apply the bleaching agent directly to your teeth and activate the chemicals with a laser light. The bleach is left on your teeth for 15 minutes, then rinsed away. The tooth whitening process can be repeated up to three times to achieve the shade you want.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Kit
Advanced Dental Care Dubbo offers at-home teeth whitening. These kits come with custom teeth whitening trays and professional-grade teeth whitening products for mild surface stains or to touch up your smile between dental visits. These kits are highly regulated and overseen by your dentist, ensuring that they are safe and effective.
The custom tray is fabricated using impressions taken at our dental practice. Then, at home, simply place a drop of the hydrogen peroxide bleach in each of the tooth-shaped crevices in the tray, and place the tray in your mouth for the time prescribed by your dentist.
You can expect to see results within two to three weeks, depending on the hydrogen peroxide gel concentration.
Porcelain Veneers
If you have severe intrinsic staining that can’t be removed using professional teeth whitening, porcelain veneers are an excellent way to disguise stains and enhance your smile.
Made from luminous ceramic, porcelain veneers offer a realistic and long-lasting cosmetic solution to discoloured teeth. To receive veneers, we shave a small layer of enamel from the front of your tooth to accommodate the veneer shell. We then use our digital smile design technology to create 3D images of your tooth that is fed into a software program and sent to an off-site lab. Once your veneers are fabricated, we’ll cement them in place.
Dental Crowns
For teeth severely discoloured due to medication or illness, you need an all-over solution rather than just disguising the front of your tooth. A dental crown covers your entire tooth, including the front, back, and chewing surface.
At Advanced Dental Care Dubbo, we use various crown types to help you achieve the smile of your dreams, including porcelain, ceramic, PFM, and zirconia.
Tips For Maintaining Your Smile
- Avoid highly pigmented foods that can stain teeth
- Rinse your mouth with water after eating
- Quit smoking and using tobacco products
- Brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste twice daily
- Floss twice daily to remove debris from between teeth
- Use an antibacterial mouthwash once daily
- Avoid using baking soda or over-the-counter tooth whitening kits, as they can contain mild abrasives that can erode tooth enamel and cause sensitive teeth
- Visit your dentist regularly for an exam and deep cleaning
Partner With Advanced Dental Care for a Brighter Smile
Don’t let stained teeth stop you from smiling and enjoying life. Contact Advanced Dental Care Dubbo on (02) 6188 7103 to book a consultation and find out about how we can help you get a brighter smile.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
