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Artisan Dentistry's Blog

Types of Tooth Discoloration

Oct 3rd, 2017

There are many reasons why teeth can become discolored. Dentists have categorized these causes of tooth discoloration into 2 types: Extrinsic Tooth Discoloration and Intrinsic Tooth Discoloration.

Extrinsic Staining

This type of discoloration is usually superficial and appears yellow and spread out over the entire tooth. It’s normally a result of eating food or drinking beverages that have very strong colors in them. Probably the worst culprit is black tea, as the high concentration of tannins get caught in minuscule crevices in the teeth, leaving the tooth stained. Other sources of extrinsic discoloration are berries, coffee, red wine and smoking.

Intrinsic Staining

This type of discoloration is not usually spread out over an entire tooth, rather it’s usually small, localized and very dark. These stains are much deeper in the tooth and are basically built into the tooth. These stains appear most often as a side effect of some medications. They can also appear as a result of over an overexposure to fluoride, a result of disease, or as a result of the dentin layer of the teeth showing when the outer enamel layer erodes.
Have these stains? Luckily there are ways to clean or hide them. Generally removing extrinsic stains is much easier than dealing intrinsic stains, as intrinsic stains usually have to be hidden.

Whitening Extrinsic Teeth Stains

These stains can usually be removed by in-office teeth whitening or take home teeth whitening kits. You can also help avoid getting the stains in the first place by rinsing out your mouth with water after eating tooth staining food. Whatever you do, don’t brush your teeth after eating staining food, as staining foods are generally also acidic and brushing right after eating acidic food can erode the enamel layer of your teeth.

Whitening Intrinsic Teeth Stains

These stains usually can’t be treated by regular teeth whitening solutions and these stains need to be covered up. This can be accomplished through the use of dental veneers or dental crowns. These stains are harder to avoid, as they may be a result of an important medication you are taking. It’s also hard to know when your teeth are over-fluoridated until the stains already appear on your teeth. Luckily veneers and crowns cover up the stains and are not affected by staining from medication and fluoride.

For more information about stained teeth and what you can do about them, contact your dentist today.

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Here at Paul Mathew, D.D.S. we work diligently to protect our patients' privacy. Requesting an appointment via our Internet portal is considered part of what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has identified as electronically protected healthcare information or ePHI. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there are people or entities that may attempt to intercept the data you transmit to us. By checking the "I agree" box, and electronically making an appointment request, you acknowledge that you are making an appointment over the internet and that Paul Mathew, D.D.S. will keep this information confidential but cannot guarantee that others, outside of our practice, may illegally intercept this communication. By accepting these terms and conditions and sending this request via our Internet portal, you accept the inherent risk(s) associated with making this request for an appointment. If you do not accept the terms and conditions, you are always welcome to contact our office via telephone to schedule your appointment.

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Here at Paul Mathew, D.D.S. we work diligently to protect our patients' privacy. Requesting an appointment via our Internet portal is considered part of what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has identified as electronically protected healthcare information or ePHI. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there are people or entities that may attempt to intercept the data you transmit to us. By checking the "I agree" box, and electronically making an appointment request, you acknowledge that you are making an appointment over the internet and that Paul Mathew, D.D.S. will keep this information confidential but cannot guarantee that others, outside of our practice, may illegally intercept this communication. By accepting these terms and conditions and sending this request via our Internet portal, you accept the inherent risk(s) associated with making this request for an appointment. If you do not accept the terms and conditions, you are always welcome to contact our office via telephone to schedule your appointment.

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The information presented here is not intended or implied to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should be used for informational purposes only.