The Nature of Teeth Stains

When we come into this world we’re given a set of teeth that are pretty much white and unstained. But as we age we also introduce those teeth, and the adult teeth that follow, to many different tastes and textures, all of which leave their mark. And soon those pearly whites are anything but. 

Every soft drink, sandwich, and snack wears away at our teeth and leaves behind residue that discolors and tarnishes them. It’s the natural order of things; our teeth become stained in a variety of ways. But before we can combat those stains, it’s useful to first understand more about the nature of teeth stains themselves. You see, teeth stains really fall into two separate categories. There are external stains and internal stains.

External stains are the types of stains that lie on the outer surface of your teeth. They’re caused by a build up of substances that stick to your teeth. These are the tiny little remnants of what you eat and drink plus any other substances that you take orally – such as medications or cigarette smoke. 

Tiny pieces of all of these substances stick to the micro-fractures found on the surface of your teeth. As they build up over time, your teeth take on their color. The biggest culprits are the substances with the most sticking power. For instance foods filled with sugar are particularly good at hanging around on your teeth as well as darker liquids like coffee, colas, and black tea.

The good news is though, that if you regularly brush and floss you can knock down most of these deposits and prevent them from staining. And the real persistent ones can still be taken care of by a twice-a-year visit to your dentist for a regular teeth cleaning. So getting a handle on surface teeth staining is a simple case of determination and follow-up.

Internal stains are the types of stains that lie on the inner surface of your teeth – where the dentin, pulp and nerves exist. These stains are caused not so much by substance build up but by aging. As you age, the enamel on your teeth wears away which allows external stains to sink deeper into the structure of each tooth. But at the same time, the dentin underneath your enamel turns more yellow and more easily shows through. The overall effect is that your teeth lose their whiteness and they become more pale.

These stains are resistant to general brushing and regular oral hygiene care. Regular whitening toothpastes can’t penetrate the enamel deeply enough to reach these deeper stains and even if they could, they don’t have enough bleaching power to have a whitening effect on the dentin. So regular brushing, no matter how often, can’t whiten these internal stains. These stains require a different method of attack.

Since internal stains are so persnickety, you need to attack them with some different, more potent weapons. Namely, you need to undergo some sort of teeth bleaching treatment. You have the option of having the treatment done at your dentist’s office or you can opt to do-it-yourself via home bleaching treatments with over-the-counter kits.

The dentist solution will yield the better whitening but it will also be the most inconvenient and cost the most. Home teeth whitening with drug store kits can come close to giving you the same stain removal as the dentist solution but it will take you longer and you’ll have to be extremely persistent. In any case, teeth bleaching is the only real way to get at internal stains.

Then, once you’ve been successful and whitened your teeth to a shade you’re satisfied with, you’ll need to develop some sort of maintenance routine to keep them that white. That could mean a change in your eating habits and/or a change in your brushing habits. It could also mean periodic bleaching sessions. 

In any case, teeth stains can be overcome. It takes a little work – but doesn’t everything worthwhile? And understanding the real nature of teeth stains gives you a leg up on finding your best teeth whitening solution.

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