Can Nicotine Damage Teeth Beyond Appearance
The appearance of stained teeth is not the only problem that comes with using nicotine products. Your gums can also take a beating from repeated exposure to nicotine.
If you smoke, theres a good chance your immune system is not as strong as it should be. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , this makes it difficult to fight off a gum infection.
Compared to a nonsmoker, a smoker has twice the risk of gum disease. Plus, the CDC also points out that if you continue smoking while dealing with gum damage, youll find it harder for your gums to heal.
When it comes to tackling the stains on your teeth, the method you choose depends on several factors, including:
- the severity of the stains
- how much you want to spend
- how often you want to treat your teeth
That said, there are three general categories of teeth whitening options to choose from. These include:
- teeth whitening by a professional
- at-home treatments
- do-it-yourself remedies
Due to the number of teeth whitening options to choose from, we spoke to three dentists from dental practices in different parts of the country to get their take.
How Do I Get Rid Of Coffee Stains From My Teeth
Coffee acts as fuel to help us stay afloat throughout the day. On the other hand, coffee can stain our teeth, which eventually gets harder to remove. It takes just one cup of coffee to stain your teeth.
Tannin, an ingredient found in coffee, is a polyphenol compound that breaks down in the water. Tannins are naturally found in a variety of edible plants, contributing color and flavor. It is a plant-based compound that enables stains to stick to your teeth and leave behind an unwanted yellow hue. Common sources of food containing high amounts of tannins include coffee, tea, wine, and chocolate.
Tooth stains can be caused by regular consumption of coffee over time and can make you self-conscious. Additionally, stains can appear on the surface of dental veneers after regular intake of drinks like tea, coffee, wine, etc. However, that does not mean you need to stop having your favorite morning drink.
Here are some steps to remove coffee stains from your teeth
Tooth Stains From Aging
The truth is, aging isnt always the most beautiful thing in the world. Sure, it comes with wisdom, thoughtfulness, and it keeps you from doing all the stupid things you used to do when you were young. But it comes with plenty of downsides: wrinkles, sagging, and a host of fun and exciting new aches and pains. All of this extends to your mouth as well. It used to be that losing your teeth when you got old was a given. Even as late as a century ago, older people regularly had to get complete dentures. But these days, more people than ever are keeping their natural teeth for their whole lives. Here are some issues you might notice as you enter your twilight years, and how you can deal with them.
As you age, even if you take great care of your teeth, you might notice that your pearly whites are looking a little less pearly – and a little less white. These tooth stains from aging come from a few different factors. The first is that things just build up. Sure, you might have done a great job brushing your teeth as a rule. But what about the times you went camping and forgot your toothbrush? Or when you had wine and didnt get a chance to brush that night? All these little stains start to add up when you reach your 60s and older. Unfortunately, nobody can take
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The Basics Of Preventing Tooth Discoloration For Coffee Drinkers
You can take steps to ensure that your teeth stay white even around the time you drink your coffee or tea:
- Rinse out your mouth with water after drinking tea, coffee, wine, or soda.
- Add some milk or cream. Lightening your drink can reduce staining, and the compounds in milk products neutralize acids that can harm tooth enamel.
- Brush and floss daily to remove plaque, a major cause of tooth discoloration.
- Brush your teeth with baking soda. It wont bleach your teeth, but it can remove surface stains. Using a paste of baking soda and salt twice a week can improve tooth whiteness over the long run.
- Get a quality toothbrush. An electric toothbrush is more effective for cleaning off plaque and tartar than a manual one.
- Use a straw when drinking cold beverages that could stain your teeth, like iced tea or cola.
- Learn about foods you can eat that naturally whiten teeth!
Top Foods That Stain Your Teeth And How To Stop Them
Got dingy teeth? Your diet may be to blame.
Ever heard anyone say you have “a smile that lights up the room”? That’s a beautiful compliment. But if your smile is looking a little more dim these days, you may be looking for solutions to brighten your teeth.
One way to help your teeth stay vibrantly white between dental cleanings is to keep an eye on what you eat. We spoke with Jessica Liao, DMD, of Select Dental in Pittsburgh, to learn just how your diet can affect your teeth’s appearance.
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How To Make Your Teeth Look Whiter Without Visiting The Dentist
There are few things you can do at home to keep your teeth looking as white as possible.
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Brushing Your Teeth. The best way to keep your teeth as white possible is to brush your teeth daily for 2 min with the fluoride containing toothpaste. Clean in between your teeth once per day using floss or an incidental brush and rinse after meals with a fluoride mouthwash. This will prevent tooth decay, reduce the amount of tartar in between your teeth and your teeth as close to then natural colour as possible.
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Chew gum after meals. Chewing sugarfree gum after a meal can help to stimulate saliva production in your mouth, this neutralises the acid attack on your teeth and thereby reduces the likelihood of dark teeth caused by dental decay.
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Use whitening toothpaste. Whilst these will never whiten as much as a dedicated teeth whitening treatment they can still help to keep your teeth looking bright and white.
And one final tip If you are able wear red lipstick, lipstick can really help to increase the white looking nature of your teeth Make up artists in the fashion world use this trick often.
Image credit: Miki Hayes 2.19.15
Has Your Daily Cup Of Tea Caused Stained Teeth Heres What To Do
If youre like many people, you enjoy a cup of coffee every day. Unfortunately, drinking coffee as well as tea, wine, or other dark beverages like cola can cause stained teeth. Theres no need to worry, though: Your dentist can help you restore your pearly whites. Better yet, you wont even have to give up your favorite drinks!
The cosmetic dentists at Penn Dental Family Practice offer several treatment options to remove deep stains from teeth and leave you with a bright, white, and healthy smile. And, with a few simple changes to your daily routine, you can maintain the results and feel more confident about your smile.
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The Other Hidden Health Dangers Of Tartar
Gum disease is also associated with other chronic inflammatory diseases, including diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular disease.
This is because your gum tissue serves as the gatekeeper to your mouth. Your mouth is exposed to everything you encounter, including viruses, fungi, and bacteria. If your gum tissue is too diseased to stop and kill those pathogens when theyre in your mouth, theyll trigger widespread inflammation and move quickly into your bloodstream to wreak havoc on your body.
Chronic inflammation is one of the most concerning symptoms of poor oral health. Its far more than just swelling and redness chronic inflammation is the root of all disease! When the bodys healthy response to injury becomes permanently turned on by injury or trauma, steady inflammation places extreme strain on arteries and organs. This eventually contributes to conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers disease, and many more.
The key to preventing all of this, from swollen gums and loose teeth to chronic disease, is to maintain your oral health and remove tartar!
Lemon Orange Or Banana Peels
Some people claim that rubbing lemon, orange, or banana peels on your teeth will make them whiter. Its believed that the compound d-limonene and/or citric acid, which is found in some citrus fruit peels, will help to whiten your teeth.
Gently rub the fruit peels on your teeth for about 2 minutes. Make sure to thoroughly rinse out your mouth and brush your teeth afterward.
Scientific research proving the effectiveness of using fruit peels to make teeth whiter is lacking.
A 2010 study looked at the effect of a toothpaste containing 5 percent d-limonene in removing teeth stains resulting from smoking and tea.
People who brushed with a toothpaste containing d-limonene combined with a whitening formula twice daily for 4 weeks significantly reduced smoking stains, though it didnt remove long-standing smoking stains or tea stains.
Further studies are needed to determine if d-limonene is effective on its own. A 2015 study reported that DIY whitening with strawberries or using citric acid was not effective.
A 2017 study tested the potential of citric acid extracts from four different types of orange peel as a teeth whitener. They were shown to have varying abilities on whitening teeth, with tangerine peel extract achieving the best results.
Be careful when using this strategy because fruits acidic. The acid can erode and wear away your enamel. If you notice that your teeth are becoming more sensitive, please stop using this method.
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Coffee And Tea Stain Your Teeth
As a general rule, if a liquid can stain fabric, it can stain your teeth as well. Whats more, while the overall health benefits of tea are generally undisputed, theres actually evidence to suggest it may ultimately stain your teeth more than a traditional cup of Joe.
If the above statement seems a bit counterintuitive allow us to explain.
How To Use Coconut Oil Pulling To Whiten Teeth
This takes some getting used to, and you may not be able to stomach the full 20 minutes at first, but stick with it, and eventually it gets easier. Start with a teaspoon of organic virgin coconut oil and let it melt in your mouth. Now, start to swish the oil around in your mouth, coating each of your teeth. Like we said, it takes some getting used to.
Next, pull the oil between your teeth, from front to back. Repeat this process for around 20 minutes, then rinse, and brush your teeth as normal. Keep it up as a daily routine, and youll not only do away with stains, but also bad breath and the potential for tooth decay.
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How To Use Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
Beginning with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide solution, add enough baking soda to make a runny paste, which isnt abrasive, and which spreads easily over your teeth. You can also brush it on gently. Once applied, leave in place for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and brush your teeth with a regular toothpaste. Youll need to repeat this process daily for about 2-3 weeks until you start to notice a considerable difference in the whiteness of your teeth.
What Tea Stains Your Teeth The Most
TeaYour TeethTeayour teethstains
Svilen De Uz
7/7 Oral B 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste
- Rembrandt Intense Stain.
- Best for: coffee drinkers and smokers.
- Blanx Intensive Stain Removal Toothpaste.
- Best for: sensitive teeth.
- iWhite Instant Teeth Whitening Toothpaste.
- Best for: weak teeth.
- Arm & Hammer Extreme Whitening Toothpaste.
- Best for: deep rooted stains.
Gert Neimayer
Drinks and Food That Cause Discoloration and/or Staining ofTeeth
- Balsamic Vinegar – The vinegar’s richness and dark color makesit a tooth stainer.
- Berries – In particular blueberries, pomegranates,blackberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, and other coloredfruits.
Edina Faulnborn
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Does Tea Stain Teeth
Tea has a bad reputation for causing teeth stains, and this reputation is somewhat deserved. Some types of tea do contain chemicals that can worsen dental stains. However, you can prevent dental stains from tea by changing how you drink it and how you take care of your teeth afterward.
Black tea can cause dental stains because of the tannins present in the tea liquor. Tea is more likely to stain your teeth than other beverages because it has higher amounts of tannins than other drinks. Proper dental care can help prevent the build-up of tannins on tooth enamel from drinking tea.
Whether tea stains your teeth or not depends on what types of tea you like to drink and how well youre taking care of your teeth. Read on to learn more about what causes tea stains on your teeth and how to prevent them.
Can You Remove Tooth Stains Instantly
These days, weve come to expect everything to happen quickly. We watch movies on the go on our phones, we can look up the answer to any question immediately, and, if we order something online, we expect it to show up practically overnight. It stands to reason that the same would go for our teeth. In this age of instant gratification, shouldnt you be able to clean your teeth as quickly as you order a pizza? Can you remove tooth stains instantly? Its a nice thought, but the answer is unfortunately no, not so much. Whitening your teeth takes time if you want it done well.
Most methods of whitening your teeth work by applying a small amount of peroxide to the surface of your teeth to bleach them white. Peroxide is great for
clearing off stains, but, at a higher concentration, it can also be damaging to your enamel. By limiting the amount of peroxide in whitening products, you protect your enamel at the cost of the treatment taking a little longer to work. At the end of the day, that seems like a pretty fair trade. Most teeth whitening systems like Snow take several weeks to complete, although you might start seeing improvements as early as a week into the process.
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Visiting The Dentist Regularly
An excellent method of keeping your teeth white as well as supporting your overall dental health is to visit your dentist twice a year. A professional cleaning will often remove coffee stains, particularly when done frequently before the stains have had a lot of time to settle deep into the teeth.
Your dentist will also remove plaque and tartar buildup that can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, or other oral health problems. How long has it been since the last time you had a dentist appointment? Make one today to keep up on your oral health.
How To Avoid Coffee And Tea Stains
Coffee and tea can both provide you with the extra energy you need to get through the day, making them the perfect drinks of choice for many as they start their day. However, they can also stain your teeth, making your otherwise healthy teeth appear dirty with a brown or yellow tint.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do so you can still enjoy your favorite beverages without discoloring your teeth.
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Teeth Whitening From A Dentist Is Your Best Choice
Since its not always possible to take the necessary steps to prevent stains, there are thankfully many ways to remedy teeth that have already been stained by coffee or tea. You can always try home whitening remedies, but nothing will be as effective as having regular whitening treatments by your dentist. Professional treatments help your teeth stay whiter longer and prevent new stains.
Be sure to remember that undergoing too many teeth whitening treatments can be harmful to the natural protective layer of your teeth. If you have stains on your teeth that youd wish to have removed, consult with Dr. DAlfonso and schedule an appointment with Lakeway Cosmetic Dentistry today.
Tea Stains Your Teeth More Than Coffee
Despite the fact that your dark roast may appear to have more color than say, black tea, through naturally occurring tannins and processes such as oxidation, teas can really take to teeth, potentially leaving you stained or splotchy.
What is Tannin?
Tannins are found in all kinds of foods and beverages. For instance, youve probably heard this word most often used when talking about wine. In short, its an antioxidant called tannic acid, which is a naturally occurring vegetable dye. Tannins are quick to adhere to plaque on our teeth, and can ultimately cause yellowish discoloration on teeths surface.
In short, the more the tannins, the greater likelihood of stains.In the case of tea versus coffee, black tea has more staining power than green tea .
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