Many patients want to brighten their smiles, and they devote nearly countless hours and dollars to using over the counter teeth whitening options. Unfortunately, unless you understand the underlying causes of your tooth staining, you may not be using the most effective smile brightening products. This is where a professional cosmetic dentist comes into play. When you partner with a cosmetic dentist, you will get the care you need to predictably achieve a smile up to ten shades brighter. In this post, we’ll review some of the most common causes of tooth staining, and how a cosmetic dentist can help you brighten your smile with professional teeth whitening and other treatment options to address your unique dental staining.
Habitual Staining
There are some daily habits that lead to dental discoloration. The most common habitual staining comes from poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, and consuming large quantities of darkly colored foods and drinks. For staining caused by these habitual behaviors, a professional in-office or take-home teeth whitening plan is usually effective in delivering the flawless, bright white smile you deserve. However, you will need to make some changes to these habits to ensure you can maintain your brighter smile. Our team will be happy to partner with you to review the habits that lead to your dental discoloration and help you plan to avoid further dental staining.
Developmental Staining
Some stains occur when teeth are developing, and they may not be treatable with traditional teeth whitening options. Some forms of developmental staining include:
- Fluorosis – due to overconsumption of fluoride during dental development
- Enamel hypoplasia – thinning enamel that reveals the yellow dentin layers of teeth
- Tetracycline – medications containing tetracycline can cause dark stains or banding on teeth when taken during dental development
- Genetics – some patients simply have darker