No matter how straight or beautifully shaped your teeth are your smile won’t receive the attention it deserves if your teeth aren’t white! Stained teeth, often appearing yellowed or dingy, are a common problem among those seeking a beautiful smile. While some people are more susceptible to staining than others, certain habits affect the whiteness of your teeth. There are real steps you can take by way of preventing staining of your teeth’s surfaces.
Things That Put You At Risk
While yellowing teeth is also something that happens with age (as the enamel wears away and the yellowish dentin beneath begins to show), premature yellowing can be a result of lifestyle. Several habits can cause stained teeth:
-
Regularly drinking dark drinks like coffee, tea, sodas and dark fruit juices and wines.
-
Some foods like soy sauce, curry and some fruits that contain dark juices (e.g. blueberries) can also cause staining.
-
The antibiotic tetracycline causes tooth yellowing.
-
Chewing or smoking tobacco is a leading cause of teeth stains.
Prevention
Here are some ways to prevent the development of tooth stains:
-
Rinse your mouth with water after eating or drinking things that could stain your teeth. This will help to remove the substance off your teeth.
-
Floss. If you’ve noticed, stained teeth are usually darker around the edges. This is because the plaque buildup in between teeth causes the teeth to stain darker there. Flossing will help prevent this staining.
-
Avoid harsh products that promise to scrub away stains. Baking soda, and some whitening toothpastes contain abrasive agents that can scratch the surface of your teeth and wear down enamel. Instead, consider a whitening treatment and lifestyle choices that prevent any further staining.
Call Dr. D’Alfonso today if you are looking to whiten your teeth professionally. Lakeway Cosmetic Dentistry wants your smile to be the brightest it can be!