Most people admit they’d like whiter, brighter teeth, but during our day to day lives we notice our teeth becoming discoloured. What causes discolouration and how can you take steps to preserve the natural whiteness of your smile?
What causes discolouration?
Everybody has slightly different enamel and some people have naturally whiter teeth than others. The tooth enamel is naturally slightly off-white and with time, whiteness tends to fade. However, there are certain foods, drinks and lifestyle habits that can accelerate the staining process. Here are some of the most common causes of tooth discolouration:
Diet
Your diet has an important influence on your oral health, but it can also affect the aesthetic of your smile, as some foods and drinks contribute to staining. The worst offenders include coffee, tea, cola, dark juices, blueberries, blackberries, soy sauce, dark or richly coloured sauces and wine. If you want to keep your teeth looking white without changing your diet, drink through a straw and always have a glass of water to hand to rinse your mouth out after eating.
Wear and tear
Ageing brings about general wear and tear and it’s inevitable that over the years, your teeth will lose a little sparkle. In order to slow the ageing process, take good care of your teeth and visit the dentist on a regular basis.
Smoking
Cigarettes contain over 1,000 different chemicals, many of which contribute to teeth staining. Smokers tend to have noticeably worse discolouration than non-smokers and their teeth often look yellow or brown. The only way to prevent these effects is to stop smoking. If you want to try and quit, our dental team will be more than happy to offer help and support.
Oral hygiene
Good oral hygiene can really help to keep your teeth looking bright and healthy, but neglecting your daily regime can soon take its toll. Skipping your daily brush and floss soon contributes to discolouration. In the worst cases, tartar, a hard brown substance, starts to form on the teeth and around the gum lines, making the smile look unhealthy and unattractive.
If you would like to whiten your smile ready for the autumn, we recommend following the simple steps listed above. If you long for a more dramatic result, why not treat yourself to a whitening treatment? We offer in-chair and at-home systems and we can lighten your smile by several shades in a matter of weeks! Call today to arrange an appointment.
Our teeth are more prone to developing stains and discolouration as we get older. Effective dental care such as brushing and flossing will clean superficial stains but if they have penetrated into the tooth enamel and dentin then it may not be possible to treat without a whitening treatment.
There are many whitening treatments on the market which have different levels of success with different patients. Zoom teeth whitening is one of the most state of the art and effective ways to whiten teeth, with results capable of being up to ten shades whiter depending on your teeth.
Whitening teeth will make your teeth look healthier and will help to make you appear younger. It can also help to restore your self-esteem and make you more confident about smiling. Zoom teeth whitening works by applying a special formula to the teeth, which is then activated on the special Zoom Advanced Heat Lamp. This increases the speed of the effects of the whitening procedure meaning you will spend less time in the dentist’s chair.
You should always avoid over-the-counter treatments when it comes to teeth whitening. This is because it is possible for the formula to cause some damage to the soft tissue of the tongue and gums if applied incorrectly. A Swindon dentist will be able to use all the necessary protective equipment to keep your teeth and gums safe and will also be able to achieve better results. There are many different treatment lengths available depending on the level of discolouration and the type of teeth enamel you have.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
