Tooth Whitening
What are the causes discoloration of teeth / stained teeth/brown teeth?
Discolored teeth can distort your appearance. They can make you uncomfortable to address people and hence affect your confidence and social interactions. At Smartsmile dentalcare clinics in Nairobi cbd, we offer best tooth whitening services restoring your smile and confidence.
What is tooth discoloration?
Any hue or translucency and abnormal color on your teeth can be considered as discolored teeth. The enamel gives teeth the white colour appearance. Once some factors are left unchecked the enamel can be stained or discolored. There are two types of teeth discoloration:- that is intrinsic and extrinsic.
Extrinsic discoloration
This occurs due to particles accumulating on the surface of the teeth. They are caused by a range of factors and can also discolour restoration such as tooth fillings and crowns. Seek dental care services early. If extrinsic discoloration is left unchecked for a long time it can extend to intrinsic. Some of the causes of this discoloration are;
- Tobacco Usage
Smoking or chewing tobacco puts your teeth at risk of being stained. This behaviour causes a yellow-brow-black coloration of the teeth. Regular use can darken your teeth. Smokeless tobacco can cause gum tissues problems such as receding, which intern exposes teeth roots to decay-causing bacteria. These exposed roots can increase tooth sensitivity to hot or cold drinks.
- Plaque:
When plaque is left on the tooth surfaces bacteria such as chromogenic stain the tooth. When plaque is neglected for a long time it forms calculus (hard deposit on teeth) on the gum-line giving a yellow, grey, black or brown appearance at the gum-line.This can also cause bad smell breath.
- Dental Restoration Material:
Some material used when restoring a decayed tooth or fractured tooth can stain your teeth. It’s advisable to select material that will not stain your teeth.
- Some Food and Drinks
Foods and drinks with carotenoids or xanthonoids can stain teeth, some drinks such as coffee and red wine can also discolors your teeth.
- Medication
Dead bacteria residue due to chloride in most mouthwash. Prolonged use of some drugs such as tetracycline and doxycycline during pregnancy may affect the appearance of the teeth surface for the children born of those mothers.
Intrinsic tooth discoloration
It is also known as internal discoloration. This is whereby the tooth surface absorbs pigments into the structure of the tooth. Such discolorations are complex to whiten than extrinsic one. Some of the causes are:
- Amalgam Fillings
Dental amalgam is a mixture of different material such as mercury and metal alloy to prepare tooth filings. Tooth filling material can stain the tooth they are placed in. When fillings age the pigments slowly leaches of the material into the tooth causing discoloration.
- Trauma
Pigments released during an injury can cause discoloring of teeth. The pigments from the pulpal tissues blood get into the dentin. In severe injuries, the tooth discoloration may occur immediately due to blood flow interruption. Blood decomposes gradually forming a blue-brown discoloration.
- Fluorosis
When there is excess fluoride in water or substances consumed such as supplement they can cause fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is a common dental disorder due to ingestion of excess fluoride during enamel development. Exposure to fluoride can be through, bottled water, fluoride toothpaste and in some region, fluoride occurring naturally in water can be excess.
- Genetic disorder
Some genetic disorder affects tooth development and causes the abnormal appearance of teeth and structure. Development disorder predisposes teeth to stain occurring in life. Examples of defective enamel that give discolored appearance are enamel hypoplasia and enamel hypocalcification.
Other causes of tooth discoloration?
Poor Oral Hygiene - Good oral hygiene can prevent many dental problems. Lack of effective brushing, flossing and rinsing of your teeth can cause plaque and stain-causing substances to remain on your teeth. It’s advisable to effectively brush your teeth and maintain good oral hygiene to avoid discolouration of your teeth.
Ageing: The natural colour of your teeth dentin is yellow. As you grow old the enamel wears out exposing this yellow part of your teeth. The secondary dentine is darker and upon exposer it makes teeth appear dark.
How to prevent teeth stains
Teeth stains can be avoided by:
- observing good oral hygiene,
- avoid smoking and tobacco chewing.
- When selecting tooth restoration materials request the one that will not stain your teeth
- Avoid regularly taking food and drinks that might cause discoloration. Brush your teeth effectively to remove all plaque.
What can you do to get rid of teeth stains (Tooth Whitening Options)?
After looking at types and causes of tooth discoloration it’s time to go through tooth whitening options that are available at our dental clinics in Nairobi. There are a number of tooth whitening options available but they are prescribed depending on the causes of tooth discoloration. Some tooth whitening options can be applied to extrinsic discoloration excellently but fail score on intrinsic discoloration.
Treatment for tooth discolorations
Considering that this form of discoloration is on the surface of the tooth, it can be simpler to deal with.
Teeth Cleaning /Scaling
One way to treat extrinsic discolouration is to remove the tartar thorough cleaning. It’s done professionally to eliminate the large accumulation of bacteria. Tooth regain lighter appearance after scaling.
Scaling is also known as deep cleaning. It removes dental plaque and calculus. The exposed surface is then smoothened or planned.
When plaque form on the surface of the teeth, removing it using a spray or rinsing becomes hard. When the plaque remains over a while it forms calculus which cannot be removed by brushing. This require professional services that are offered at our dental clinics in Nairobi. Plaque causes inflammation of the gum due to bacterial irritations.
Tooth Polishing
This is done to smoothen the surface of the teeth removing dental plaque. This enhances tooth appearance and reduces corrosion of metallic restorations. Polishing should be avoided on erupting teeth and exposed teeth roots surfaces. Before using any polishing or teeth whitening paste on tooth replacements such as implants seek dentist approval.
In-office tooth whitening
A dentist carries out an in-office tooth whitening procedure. The process may take 30minutes to 2 hours depending on the method of choice. Unlike home tooth whitening gels in-office treatment results are immediate. The gel used are highly concentrated and the environment of their reactions is controlled. The process is painless and faster.
Tooth Whitening toothpaste
These are pastes containing polishing agents. They have chemicals that assist in removes stains on your teeth. They are cheaper compared to in-office tooth whitening. It’s advisable to get a recommendation from a dentist to avoid tooth whitening paste that might have high PH levels or extremely low PH levels. Inaccurate pH levels in tooth whitening paste can interfere with the normal operation of the saliva and oral health.
Use of home teeth whitening strips and gels
Gels are products with an amount of bleaching agent such as carbamide peroxide. They are applied on the teeth at night for a period of ten to fourteen days. The whitening can be sustained for four months. Strips are thin and invisible coating applied on the teeth. These strips are covered with a carbamide peroxide bleaching agent/gel. Follow the instructions carefully for the right results.
Before use of home gel whitening products, it's important to take a dental examination and prescription from a dentist. You can visit Smartsmile dentalcare clinics in Nairobi for examination, diagnosis and treatment planning for the best results.
Tray-based home teeth whitening bleaching systems.
Tray based bleaching systems are tooth guards that look like a try. They are filled with teeth bleaching agents and placed on teeth for two to three weeks. These trays can be custom made or bought over the counter. The materials used are carbamide peroxide based agents.
Veneers
Veneers can treat other cosmetic dental issues such as chipping or fractured teeth. They can also be used for tooth whitening treatment. Veneers are thin and are placed on the front surface of the teeth. They are permanent and improve your appearance and whiten your teeth. Porcelain veneers resist stains. They are more naturally reflecting light just like your natural teeth.
A dentist will trim your enamel to the right size of the veneer to be placed. An impression of the teeth is taken during a subsequent visit and sent to the dental laboratory for veneers to be made. During the waiting period, temporarily veneers can be used to cover the tooth surface.
Masking
During masking a thin layer of white material is place on the tooth. The dentist will trim the surface of the enamel to the size of the layer to be placed.
Crowns
Crowns can be used to cover the discolored teeth and improve appearance of the teeth. Porcelain crowns can be customized to look like your natural teeth in case of few teeth discoloration. Dental crowns are used to treat other dental issues such as tooth restoration fractures caries and malformations.
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