Teeth may be a hidden part of your body, but it plays an important role in our life. They help to maintain a healthy lifestyle and boost your self-esteem. So, it becomes our duty to take special care of them. Caring for this integral body part can extend your overall health and personality. But, in today’s fast-moving life, these basic daily care tasks are being ignored. 

People are not paying attention to their eating habits and are not maintaining a good oral routine. In the latter part either they develop cavities, stains, or tooth decay. When the situation runs out of their hands, they try to look for different treatments. Getting crowns, bridges, implants, veneers and many other dental restorations seem to be the only solution.

The discoloration of the tooth is one of the common problems being faced by people going for turkey teeth. Teeth staining mean the change of the color of the teeth. Teeth look either yellow or have an opaque look. The teeth may also develop a darker tone or develop spots in places which results in tooth stains. 

Types of Teeth Stains

There are three types of teeth stains. They can be either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic discoloration is on the outer part of the tooth whereas intrinsic is related to the inner part of the tooth. The cause of the staining of the tooth may also be age-related. The main reasons for teeth staining are:

1. Consumption of Foods such as curry, sauces, berries, candies, lollies, icecreams, etc. changes the color of the teeth. A carbohydrate-rich diet loaded with starch and sugar causes the development of bacteria and hence discolored teeth. 
   
   
2. Excessive intake of beverages and colas. These drinks have high sugar content and stay on the teeth the whole day. This too causes a buildup of bacteria.
   
   
3. Chewing tobacco, and smoking can darker the teeth over time making them look odd and unhygienic.
   
   
4. Medicines such as tetracycline and doxycycline have been found to cause tooth staining. Do consult your physician before getting these medicines.
   
   
5. Poor oral hygiene where regular brushing and cleaning are not followed. This habit results in forming plaque that causes yellowing of the tooth enamel.
   
   
6. It can be hereditary where the parents transfer the genes that cause tooth stains.  
   
   
7. It may be the result of an accident where a person experiences a severe shock or is traumatized after the accident.
   
   
8. Diseases treatment involves radiation and chemotherapy. Although, it is a very rare case but can be the culprit behind the changed color of the teeth.
   
   
9. A dental material like amalgam that contains silver metal gives a greyish tone to the tooth.
   
   
10. Too much fluoride either through natural processes or supplements causes teeth discoloration.
    
    
11. When you get older the outer layer of the tooth gets worn out making the tooth appear to be yellow.

The discolored tooth acquires the following teeth shades due to various factors. The following depicts the tooth color chart and their main causes:

YELLOW–  Means the surface of the enamel has worn down. Smoking or chewing tobacco can make your teeth look yellow.

BROWN– Tea, coffee, colas, and tobacco are the cause of brown stains near the gums. Untreated tooth decay and tartar buildup are the reasons for brown teeth.

WHITE– Too much fluoride cause white stains on the teeth. Dental cavities too can produce white spots.

BLACK– When the cavity becomes old and is not attended to on time; it becomes black with time. Tooth decay, exposure to some minerals, or chewing of betel leaves also causes black stains.

PURPLE– People who regularly consume red wine face the discoloration of enamel that turns purple in color.

Tetracycline Teeth

Certain medications can change the color of the teeth. Tetracycline is one such antibiotic that is used to treat bacterial infections. This drug is known to cause tooth staining making the enamel become grey, brown, or yellow and the teeth are called tetracycline teeth.

The pregnant mother who took medicine had the children with discolored teeth. When tetracycline was taken, it bonded with the calcium needed for tooth development. This process resulted in intrinsic tooth stains in the children. Therefore, this drug is now no longer given to pregnant ladies.

Excessive intake of tea and coffee results in the buildup of tartar between the teeth and causes a sudden brown line on the teeth. It can also cause gum disease if not treated at an initial stage.

When the dentist puts braces on your teeth for their proper alignment, you should be extra careful in taking care of them. Otherwise, you may encounter yellow teeth between braces. So in this case you must use a toothbrush made exclusively made for cleaning teeth with braces.

These days it is social status to have a whiter and brighter smile. The TV commercials propagate the idea of having a shiny white smile. Most people think that one should possess confident and pleasing-looking teeth.

People are spending a great amount of money to have that perfect smile that attracts everyone. To prevent the staining of the tooth, you have to say no to soft drinks, beverages, wines, and other materials if you are taking them in more than the prescribed amount. 

Try to drink liquid things with a straw so that these drinks do not come in direct contact with teeth. Maintaining proper oral hygiene means proper brushing, flossing, and using an antibacterial mouthwash. If the color of the teeth changes, you should immediately consult your dentist. 

Avoid Staining of Teeth

You can follow these precautions to avoid staining of teeth:

• Maintaining proper oral hygiene.
• Avoid drinking food that causes stains.
• Using bleaching agents.
• Using whitening gels and toothpaste.
• The dentist uses a bonding technique where they fuse material to stained areas.
• The use of veneers where a thin shell of material over the entire tooth.

HOW TO PREVENT COFFEE STAINS

You can drink your favourite beverage without adding sugar and drinking it with the help of a straw. Coffee without sugar prevents the growth of bacteria in your mouth which may cause tooth decay. 

After having coffee, do rinse your mouth with plain water. This will inhibit the formation of acids that may attack the enamel. These stains can be annoying and make you feel bad while you are in a public gathering. People try various home remedies to get rid of these stains. 

There are many treatment options for whitening your teeth, some of the common stain removal techniques are:

• Using whitening toothpaste- proper brushing twice a day can save your teeth from stains.
  
  
• Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the stains. Though it is an excellent remedy, it may cause roughness on the enamel.
  
  
• Use diluted hydrogen peroxide and sees the results after two or three applications.
  
  
• Rubbing the enamel with the fruit peels that contain citric acid help in the removal of many types of stains.
  
  
• Have a balanced diet free from tea, coffee, and red wine.
  
  
• Popular brands like Oral-B provides tooth whitening strip for people who are short on time. This is a thin plastic strip coated with carbamide peroxide gel that gets stuck to the enamel and can be removed with the help of lukewarm water.
  
  
• The enzymes present in certain fruits dissolve the stains when they get rubbed with your enamel.
  
  
• The painless process of ultrasonic scaling breaks the plaque and tartar buildup and cleans the area giving you quick results.

Artificial dental restorations like bridges, veneers, crowns, and dentures cannot be whitened. The process of whitening applies to only natural teeth.

PREVENTING DISCOLORATION– it should be the first and the foremost thing that you should follow. This is the only process abiding by which you can prevent your teeth from stains, decay, and damage. Here are the tips that can prevent discoloration of the teeth:   

• Make sure to clean your teeth after consuming pigmented foods.
• Mouth rinses and washes can keep the tough stains out of your mouth.
• Give up smoking or chewing tobacco to save your teeth from stains.

Teeth stains are not uncommon and can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons. If you notice tooth stains that are not going away after many processes, you must seek the help of an experienced dentist. 

If the staining is deep and is not removed with whitening agents, it can be a cavity that is giving tough colors to the enamel. So, it’s a good idea to see the dentist as soon as possible. The doctor will examine your situation and will enquire about your daily oral regime. 

After going through your case, he will suggest a proper remedy for your problem. Sometimes these teeth stains are just superficial and go away if given immediate attention. But in other cases, it can be a serious matter which may lead to tooth decay or tooth loss.
So, without any delay, do visit the dentist in your area for proper treatment. In the future also, schedule a visit to the dental doctor twice a year to keep the dental problems at bay.