Causes of stains on teeth and how to deal with them

 

Surely some of you have experienced discoloration of your teeth. Usually the color sticks to the teeth and will cause disease if not cleaned.

Check out the causes of stains on teeth and how to deal with them

Stain is a color that sticks to the surface of the teeth usually occurs due to the color of food, drink, or cigarettes that leave a brown tar on the teeth. This happens slowly over a considerable amount of time.

Usually according to Grossman (1995), stain is a discoloration found on the outer surface of the tooth and is usually of local origin, for example, tobacco stains that cause teeth to darken.

Tooth discoloration or stain is a pigmented deposit on the tooth surface. Stains are aesthetically pleasing and do not cause inflammation of the gums. The use of tobacco products, tea, coffee, certain mouthwashes, and pigments in foods causes stains to form. Stain due to the use of these products produces a rough surface so that it is easy to stick with food debris and germs that eventually form plaque.

If not cleaned, plaque will harden and form tartar that can propagate to the tooth roots. This can cause the gums to bleed easily, the teeth to loosen easily, and fall out easily.

Stain in teeth can occur in three ways:
(1) the stain adheres directly to the surface,
(2) the stain is trapped in the calculus, and
(3) the stain joins the tooth structure or filling material.

So, here are the types of stains based on location:

A. Extrinsic Stains

These stains occur on the outer surface of the teeth and can be removed by brushing, scaling and/or polishing procedures.

B. Intrinsic Stains

These stains occur within the substance of the tooth and cannot be removed by scaling or polishing techniques.

Please note, the way to remove stains that are attached directly to the tooth surface and settle on calculus or tartar is by scaling and polishing. Stains on the surface of the teeth can also be removed by bleaching. As a result of stains other than aesthetic problems, thickened stain deposits can roughen the tooth surface which in turn will cause plaque buildup so that it irritates the gums or adjacent gingiva.