How to Prevent Teeth Staining

Have you noticed your teeth have stained or are not quite as white as you’d like? Diet, lifestyle, medications, ageing and skipping dental hygiene can all contribute to teeth staining and discolouration. Read on for some easy dental hygiene tips you can add into your routine to prevent staining and keep your teeth glowing their natural pearly colour. There are now also some very innovative and easy teeth whitening methods for when you can’t budge persistent stains.

The causes of discolouration

There are two main causes of tooth discolouration, internal and external. Internal discolouration is caused by structural changes to the tooth such as damage to the teeth, using certain antibiotics and decay due to excessive fluoride. External discolourations result from food and teeth that stain teeth. As you age your teeth will darken too, as the tooth's protective enamel outer layer starts to thin it reveals the stained layer underneath.

Dental hygiene tips for naturally white teeth

It’s never too late to improve your dental hygiene routine! Brushing your teeth effectively is the best way to keep your teeth their most healthy. Consider investing in an electric toothbrush or speaking to your dental hygienist on how to properly clean your teeth with the correct technique. Twice a day is always the recommendation, though if you do consume a large amount of staining foods and beverages this can be increased to remove extra acids that might stay on your teeth and discover them.

Keep an eye on your diet and lifestyle

It’s well known that red wine, coffee and tea can stain your teeth. If you’re serious about preventing stains, you could cut down on these beverages or wash your mouth out with water after consuming them. Acidic and sugary foods can result in staining so keep an eye on your consumption and increase drinking water to wash away the acids. Using a straw with sweet beverages is a great way to prevent acids from coming into contact with your teeth.

Regularly visiting your dental hygienist

Other than your at-home teeth care, regularly visiting a dental hygienist is the best way to prevent teeth staining. Your dental hygienist will not only do a thorough examination of your teeth, they will also scale and polish them, leaving them visibly whiter.

Teeth whitening and bleaching

It’s very easy to whiten your teeth effectively with professional treatments that have active ingredients. Teeth whitening typically uses strong hydrogen peroxide concentrations, and internal bleaching is a specialist procedure which corrects the colouring of internal discolouration. There’s also the option for at-home treatments too which include mouth guards and a whitening gel, so you can make your teeth beautifully white from the comfort of your home.

Want to find out more about how to best care for your teeth to prevent teeth staining or find out more about teeth whitening treatments and solutions? Contact Duncan Dental, Tauranga’s passionate dental specialists today.

‍