Your Concerns
Teeth Discoloration
Your teeth can tell quite a tale about you—everything from the vices you just can't live without (daily Starbucks Grande Latte, anyone?) to your real age. So if every stain tells a story, what's your smile saying about you?
Learn about Teeth Discoloration
There are actually three main reasons why teeth become stained or yellowed: intrinsic, extrinsic and the natural aging process.
Instrinsic stains result from a change in the internal color of the tooth and can be caused by antibiotic use (particularly tetracycline), fluorosis (excessive amounts of fluoride) or from trauma to the tooth. These are the types of stains that resist most teeth-whitening treatments.
Extrinsic stains result from repeated exposure to staining agents we incorporate into our lifestyles. These include cigarettes, coffee, tea and red wine. Additionally, as we get older, the outer layer of tooth enamel wears away, eventually revealing a darker or yellow shade. The color of our teeth also comes from the inside of the tooth, which may become darker over time. In other words, our teeth become more and more stained as we go about living our daily lives.
What you can do:
- If skipping your daily soda, coffee or tea is just too touch, try drinking it through a straw—this will keep the staining culprit from actually touching your teeth.
- Try a whitening dental floss to get in-between teeth and in those hard-to-reach places where staining often occurs.
- If you're drinking red wine (one of the worst offenders), be sure to brush or rinse as soon afterwards as possible
- Create the illusion of whiter teeth by wearing a brighter, blue-based lipstick (red works best). Remember, the more beige or orange in your lipstick, the duller your teeth will look.
What to avoid:
- Foods and beverages that stain teeth, including red wine, coffee, tea, dark colas and berries.
- Smoking! As if you needed another reason to quit, smoking causes significant yellowing of teeth.
How you can Reveal your best you:
- RevealSmile™: In just over 30 minutes, this patented teeth-whitening system removes years of coffee, tea, smoking and other stains from teeth, often resulting in significant lightening.
