If you search for “teeth whitening” on Google, you will get almost 5 million results all catering to thousands of queries daily.
Its obvious that clean white teeth is what everyone wants and teeth whitening can be achieved through disciplined home whitening systems or via professional dental cleaning and whitening at our dental clinic, but having to rely on them is not ideal.
Things to Avoid
Brushing and flossing teeth twice daily is the first rule. But there are things you can do to prevent stains. What you drink, eat or ingest that can cause staining of the enamel (the outer portion of the tooth). Such things are tea, coffee, wine, colas and, of course tobacco which not only darkens your teeth but also and more seriously, blackens and harms your lungs.
After having any of the beverages mentioned above, it is good to have a quick mouthwash and have some water. This will help wash away the staining elements.
Plants, fruits, vegetables and other foods that are rich in carotenoids (often produced by bacteria) can also stain the teeth. On the other hand, there have been studies that show that people who have diets rich in carotenoids are healthier and are at less risk of dying from chronic illnesses. In this case, having stained teeth may be a small price to pay for a potentially longer life.
Antihistamines, high blood pressure medication and antipsychotic drugs have tooth discoloration as a potential side effect. Before you stop taking these medicines, you are urged to consult with your physician. Having dark teeth may be bad but the absence of needed medicine may be even worse.
There are other things that cause the dentin (in inner portion of the tooth) to decay and darken. Such things are over-exposure to fluoride during early childhood. Similarly is the use of tetracycline antibiotics before the age of 9, over-use of it at any age, or even if your mother took it in the second half of her pregnancy to you.
If you had trauma to the mouth (such as in a fall) then your permanent tooth may not have developed as it should have developed. If you had trauma at any age then internal bleeding may have discolored the tooth.
Genetics and medical conditions can also affect the health of the tooth. Finally, there is age. After the age of 50, a person’s tooth changes its mineral structure, and the enamel generally becomes thinner, allowing the darker dentin to show through. So extra-care must be practiced after a certain age
If you are someone who prefers watching videos then Dr Neha Rathi has some great advice on how to prevent teeth stains.
