Why do my teeth stain?

• Staining of the teeth is very common, and seems to affect men more commonly than women. Some people naturally have slightly yellow or grey teeth, but this does not necessarily mean that they are not healthy.
• There are 2 main types of tooth stain from the outside (extrinsic) or inside (intrinsic)
• Extrinsic stains may be caused by:
o Poor oral hygiene, plaque stuck on teeth can turn yellow
o Foods, eg tea, coffee, berries, curry, red wine and colas
o Iron tablets may leave black marks
o Mouthwashes containing the antibacterial agent chlorhexidine, eg Cordosyl
• Intrinsic stains may be caused by:
o Degeneration – Older people can develop brown staining on the teeth as the enamel wears thin
o Antibiotics such as tetracycline
o Swallowing of excess flouride toothpaste by young children can cause white flecks on the teeth
• Combination stains:
o Smoking can cause a combination of surface and, over the long term, intrinsic staining of the tooth structure
o Tooth decay can cause both intrinsic and extrinsic staining
• What to do about it:
o Extrinsic staining is relatively straight forward to remove, with a thorough scale and polish by the dentist or Oral Hygenist. Whitening toothpastes may be effective but are not in contact with the teeth for long enough to lighten the colour
o Intrinsic staining involves tooth bleaching done by the dentist and different techniques are available on request. It is never permanent and it is like bleaching your hair, it has to be done regularly.