Many people are concerned about the color of their teeth. Whiter teeth tend to look healthier and are deemed more attractive. Still, dental discoloration is a common issue.
There can be a variety of sources for dental discoloration. Here are a few of them and how the resulting discoloration can be corrected by a dentist.
Food and Drink
Each time you eat food or drink a beverage, your teeth are subjected to the pigments in the substances that you ingest. Dark-hued items, such as berries, tea, or coffee, include deep particles of pigment that can become lodged in the pores of your tooth enamel. As the colorant particles accumulate, they progressively darken the teeth.
Nevertheless, dental discoloration from foods and drinks is removable. Dental bleaches, such as those found in over-the-counter whitening kits and professional treatments, can help bleach stains from the teeth. The bleaching solutions typically contain a peroxide base and are specifically designed to safely remove dental stains.
Although safe when used correctly, dental whiteners can cause problems. Thus, if you choose to whiten your teeth with an over-the-counter kit, be sure to follow the instructions precisely. Whitening products that are left on the teeth for longer than suggested may result in chronic tooth sensitivity.
Consequently, professional whitening applications are often considered the safest options for chemical whitening.
Tartar
Tartar is calcified plaque. When dental plaque, which is made up of food particles, bacteria, and biofilm, remains undisturbed for a prolonged span of time, it hardens, becoming tartar.
The hardened material is not white like tooth enamel. Instead, it has a dull yellow coloration. The greater the accumulation of tartar on the teeth, the greater the yellowing.
Your dentist can easily scrape tartar from the dental surfaces using a scaler. If your teeth are relatively healthy, your dentist will likely schedule a professional cleaning every six months to keep your teeth white and healthy.
Blow to the Mouth
A traumatic blow to the teeth can result in irreparable damage to the pulp. Additionally, the blow may harm the blood vessels, compromising the blood flow of the tooth.
In some cases, the discoloration resolves on its own as the tooth heals. However, in other cases, the discoloration, which tends to be gray or pink, remains indefinitely.
If the discoloration is permanent, it can be concealed using a dental veneer or a tooth-colored crown. The color of a crown or veneer can be matched to the natural color of your teeth.
If your teeth are discolored, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area to discover a suitable treatment option.
