How Your Diet Can Stain Your Smile

They don’t call your teeth “pearly whites” for nothing. Unfortunately, however, as you get older, diet, normal wear and tear, and even genetics can stain your smile, turning them a less than attractive shade of yucky yellow. Here’s a closer look at how what you eat and drink could be discoloring your gorgeous grin, and how your dentist can help you get back that healthy, happy glow it’s been missing!

How Do Teeth Get Stains?

Your teeth are comprised of four equally important layers: the enamel (outside), the dentin (the layer directly beneath the enamel), the cementum (which helps hold the tooth in place below the gumline) and the pulp (core of the tooth that contains nerves and vessels).

Although hard and durable enough to protect the layers beneath it, the enamel contains tiny pores in which food particles, plaque, and tannins can become trapped, causing the teeth to appear discolored. With time, diet, and genetics, this layer can become worn or eroded, causing tooth sensitivity and making the dentin more visible. Because this second layer is yellow, this can sometimes make the teeth look stained, too.

How Can I Reduce My Risk of Dental Discoloration?

If you are experiencing tooth stains due to your diet or bad oral habits like smoking, there is plenty you can do to prevent this. First, if you do use tobacco products including cigarettes, pipes, cigars, vapes, chewing tobacco, and dabs, try your hardest to quit, as not only will they increase your risk of tooth discoloration, but they also can increase dry mouth, which can lead to gum disease, as well as oral cancer, which can be fatal.

If your discoloration is caused by the foods and beverages you consume, there’s no need to quit enjoying them to sport a shiny smile. However, it is important to do your best to limit your consumption and adapt some of the following habits when you do decide to indulge:

• Drink beverages with a straw to limit their contact with your teeth.
• Alternate darkly colored drinks with sips of water to prevent them from sticking around longer than necessary.
• Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily.
• Visit your dentist every six months for your regular checkups and cleanings to remove discoloring tartar buildup from your smile.

If none of these habits help or go far enough to reduce dental discoloration, speak to your dentist about whether a cosmetic dentistry treatment like professional whitening is right for you.

Which Treatment is Best for a Stained Smile?

Although there’s no shortage of whitening pastes, gels, and strips available at big box stores and online, most patients who try these products don’t get the results they’re looking for. That’s because consumer-grade whiteners use diluted ingredients to keep costs low and encourage customers to keep buying more. In fact, while they may even seem like a better deal upfront, because they take so much longer to get noticeable results, they often end up costing about the same as professional treatment from a dentist- all the while subjecting your smile to unnecessarily extensive sensitivity!

The good news is that professional whitening from your dentist is a safe, effective way to remove up to eight shades of dental discoloration in a fraction of the time of those OTC products. In fact, in as little as one hour with an in-office treatment and about two weeks with a custom take-home kit, you can get a whiter, brighter smile without excessive exposure to painful sensitivity-causing chemicals.

To determine if you’re a good candidate for professional whitening, it’s important that you visit your dentist for a consultation first. During this appointment, he will examine your teeth and gums and make sure your smile is healthy enough to undergo treatment. Then, depending on the method you select, you can be scheduled for either in-office whitening, or a take home kit with custom, refillable trays.

Remember, while it can be difficult to prevent some stains from developing in your smile, your dentist has solutions to remove discoloration and restore your gorgeous, glowing grin faster and more effectively than storebought products. To learn more about your cosmetic dentistry options and see which treatments are right for you, schedule a consultation today!

About Dr. Gaches

Dr. Mark Gaches earned his undergraduate degree at East Central University and his dental doctorate at the University of Southern California. Since graduation, he has earned a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. To schedule a consultation for teeth whitening at Infinite Smiles Dentistry, visit our website today or call 918-928-2383.