In-office bleaching takes about one hour to complete. Most take-home whitening treatments require 30- to 60-minute daily treatments for up to six weeks. There are pros and cons to each. Ask your dentist which option is right for you.
Tooth Discoloration
Tooth discoloration is when the color of your teeth changes. They might appear yellowed or less bright, or they may develop white or dark flecks. Causes include tobacco use, dental trauma, poor oral hygiene and certain foods, drinks and medications.
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Overview
What is tooth discoloration?
Tooth discoloration refers to the staining or darkening of your teeth. You can develop discolored teeth for a number of reasons. Some causes are unavoidable — like aging, trauma or disease. Other causes are preventable — like smoking and poor oral hygiene.
Types of tooth discoloration
There are two main types of tooth discoloration:
- Extrinsic discoloration: This type of discoloration affects the outer surface of your teeth (enamel). Exposure to certain environmental factors — like some foods and beverages — causes extrinsically discolored teeth.
- Intrinsic discoloration: This type of discoloration starts inside your tooth and affects your dentin (the layer underneath your enamel). Causes include dental trauma and certain medications.
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Possible Causes
What are the most common causes of discolored teeth?
Several things can cause discolored teeth. Some causes are avoidable. Others are unavoidable. Avoidable tooth discoloration causes include:
- Dark-colored foods and beverages. Things like coffee, tea, berries, red wine and soy sauce can stain your teeth over time.
- Smoking and other tobacco use. Research indicates that tooth discoloration is more common among people who smoke compared to people who don’t.
- Poor oral hygiene. Stains cling to dental plaque. If you don’t remove plaque with regular brushing and flossing, you’re more likely to develop discolored teeth.
- Excessive fluoride. In appropriate quantities, fluoride is an excellent way to protect your teeth from cavities. However, people who consume high levels of fluoride during childhood may develop fluorosis — a condition that results in white spots on your tooth enamel.
Unavoidable tooth discoloration causes include:
- Genetics. Natural tooth color, brightness and translucency vary from person to person.
- Dental trauma. Falls, car crashes and sports-related injuries can cause trauma that results in tooth discoloration.
- Aging. As you grow older, your tooth enamel wears thinner. This exposes more of the underlying dentin, which has a yellowish hue. As a result, your teeth may appear slightly more discolored as you age.
- Dental treatments. Some dental materials — like silver amalgam used in metal fillings — can make your teeth appear grayish in color. Root canal therapy can also cause tooth discoloration in some instances.
- Certain diseases. Some health conditions cause teeth discoloration, including liver disease, celiac disease, calcium deficiency, eating disorders and metabolic diseases.
- Certain medications. Some medications, like certain antihistamines and drugs for high blood pressure, can result in teeth discoloration. In addition, adults who took tetracycline or doxycycline (both antibiotics) during childhood may have tooth discoloration.
- Cancer treatments. Chemotherapy or head and neck radiation therapy can cause tooth discoloration.
Different color meanings
Sometimes the color of tooth stains can pinpoint the culprit:
- Yellow stains are usually due to eating and drinking dark-colored foods or beverages. It may also mean that you need to improve your oral hygiene.
- Brown teeth discoloration is a result of smoking or using chewing tobacco. If you have brown stains and pitting (small holes) in your teeth, it probably means you have untreated tooth decay.
- Purple teeth stains usually affect people who consume a lot of red wine.
- Gray tooth discoloration may mean that the nerve inside your tooth has died. Dental trauma can cause this.
- White flecks on your teeth may indicate dental fluorosis. This means you consumed high levels of fluoride during childhood, when your teeth were developing.
- Black spots on your teeth typically indicate areas of severe decay.
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