Why do Teeth Stain?

Many patients want to brighten their smiles, and they devote nearly countless hours and dollars to using over the counter teeth whitening options. Unfortunately, unless you understand the underlying causes of your tooth staining, you may not be using the most effective smile brightening products. This is where a professional cosmetic dentist comes into play. When you partner with a cosmetic dentist, you will get the care you need to predictably achieve a smile up to ten shades brighter. In this post, we’ll review some of the most common causes of tooth staining, and how a cosmetic dentist can help you brighten your smile with professional teeth whitening and other treatment options to address your unique dental staining.

Habitual Staining

There are some daily habits that lead to dental discoloration. The most common habitual staining comes from poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, and consuming large quantities of darkly colored foods and drinks. For staining caused by these habitual behaviors, a professional in-office or take-home teeth whitening plan is usually effective in delivering the flawless, bright white smile you deserve. However, you will need to make some changes to these habits to ensure you can maintain your brighter smile. Our team will be happy to partner with you to review the habits that lead to your dental discoloration and help you plan to avoid further dental staining.

Developmental Staining

Some stains occur when teeth are developing, and they may not be treatable with traditional teeth whitening options. Some forms of developmental staining include:

• Fluorosis – due to overconsumption of fluoride during dental development
• Enamel hypoplasia – thinning enamel that reveals the yellow dentin layers of teeth
• Tetracycline – medications containing tetracycline can cause dark stains or banding on teeth when taken during dental development
• Genetics – some patients simply have darker colored tooth enamel

Because these causes of staining are typically not treatable with traditional teeth whitening methods, you may need to work with your cosmetic dentist to plan for more advanced treatments. Direct bonding or porcelain veneers are often good options to whiten teeth when traditional methods would be less effective.

Meet the Framingham Premier Dental Team

At Framingham Premier Dental, we offer a wide range of cosmetic dentistry services to deliver brighter, straighter, and more perfect smiles. Whether you’re in need of traditional teeth whitening services or a complete smile makeover, we’re here to help. To learn more, call our team to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation in our state-of-the-art Framingham dentistry practice today. We look forward to seeing you soon.