Some people assume all it takes for white and healthy teeth is regular brushing and flossing. While you might have a strict dental hygiene routine, this does not guarantee you sparkling white teeth. Several elements might discolor your teeth and not only affect your smile but also your overall oral health.
There are various types of discoloration including yellow, brown and gray and that caused by the consumption of stain-causing foods and drinks, such as berries and coffee.
You might reach for the nearest OTC teeth whitening product in Townsville’s local stores and pharmacies to sort the discoloration. These products are mostly a waste of your money and might produce no visible results.
A dental visit for in-office whitening among other treatments for discoloration is your best bet to sparkling teeth and overall oral health. Your consultation starts with an investigation to the cause of your discoloration for the customization of your treatment and its boosted efficacy.
The following are the common causes of gray dental discoloration.
Genetics
Gray teeth are common in people suffering from dentinogenesis imperfect, a rare genetic condition. The condition affects your dental development and causes the grayish-yellow discoloration and translucency of your teeth. Moreover, this genetic condition causes the weakening of the teeth and will cause frequent dental fractures and heighten your risk of tooth loss.
Early Antibiotic Exposure
One of the most common antibiotics that affect the development of bones and teeth is tetracycline. Exposure to this antibiotic in the uterus or its administration to kids below 8–12 years causes the discoloration of their permanent teeth. The teeth will thus generally feature greyish-yellow horizontal stripes.
Dental Restorations
There are various options for dental restorations nowadays. Some will, unfortunately, cause the gray discoloration of your teeth. The most common culprits for this include metal fillings more so silver-colored amalgam.
Your teeth, in this case, will have a metallic color since the filling shows through the translucent enamel surface of your teeth. If this is the reason for your discoloration, the dentist in most cases will replace the filing with a white amalgam one.
Trauma
Various types of injury might compromise the integrity of your dental enamel that is meant to protect the inner dental structures. While you might assume this, bacteria continue acting on the inner dental layers and eventually destroy the dental pulp, blood vessels, and nerves. This leaves the tooth with no blood supply causing its death that is in turn evidenced by gray stains.
Extensive Dental Decay
Few people think of visiting a dentist if their dental caries are not causing any pain. Some forms of decay might not generate pain but will create a grayish discoloration. This results from the slow death of internal tooth structures as bacteria proliferate in the tooth unchecked.
Tooth whitening might not be the primary treatment of choice in all the causes of dental discoloration mentioned above. There are however other methods used in modern dental care to give you sparkling white teeth irrespective of the cause of their discoloration.
These include dental bonding, crowns, and dental veneers. They will be used after the treatment of the underlying cause of discoloration thus guaranteeing you optimal dental health.