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Why your ‘pearly whites’ get stained

October 31, 2008



“My teeth used to shine like pearls!” has become quite a common lament made to dentists. What has happened to your pearly whites? Why have they become stained? The first question to be asked is “Are you a chain smoker?” Tobacco-in all it’s dirty forms-is the worst enemy of your tooth enamel. Apart from tobacco, coffee, tea and colas also makes the enamel thinned. It is when the outer enamel narrows that the inner yellowish dentin show through. Other possible causes of tooth stain are red wine and extracts of blueberries and soy. If a particular substance can leave stains on your clothes, why cannot they make your teeth dingy?

Some of the so-formed stains turn out to be intrinsic in nature. If a stain is termed intrinsic, it means the harm has been done to the inside of the tooth. The teeth of children, whose mothers have taken antibiotic tetracycline during pregnancy, are likely to be stained. If you happen to have stained teeth, you are sure to be drenched with tips and home remedies prescribed by every second person you smile to. But you need to understand the exact reason for the stain before getting treated.

A dental cleaning can easily get rid of those stains that are resulted from foods and drinks. If it is a case of intrinsic stains, cosmetic procedures such as composite resin bonding and porcelain laminate veneers will have to be administered.

It is extremely essential to keep your teeth clean, once you get the stains removed. Teeth should be brushed twice a day, that too with an effective paste that truly helps in removing the plaque. It is also advisable to use straws while having fruit juices and even cold coffee. Smoking should certainly be discarded, if you want healthy beaming teeth. And after all, you need to be realistic in your approach since even the healthiest and perfectly maintained teeth may not be pure white.


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