Stained Teeth – Some Top Prevention Tips

Our Acton dentists offer useful advice on how to keep your teeth as stain free as possible.

People today probably pay more attention to the way that their teeth look than previous generations have. There are now a wide range of treatments available for almost every cosmetic purpose. As with general dental problems though, it is better to prevent any problems arising in the first case if at all possible.

One of the most common reasons that people are unhappy about their teeth is when they become discoloured or stained. While it may not be possible to stop this altogether, there are certainly a number of things that you can do to delay this from happening. Here are some of the top tips from our dentists at the Acton Vale Dental Centre.

Don’t smoke

This topic was covered in our previous blog, with much of it relating to the dangers of oral cancer. In addition to that though, smoking is a surefire way of ensuring that your teeth become discoloured. How badly discoloured will depend on how much you smoke but you should expect a range of colours from a light yellow to a dark brown. Vaping shouldn’t have the same effect due to its lack of tar but is best avoided if possible as much is unknown about the long term effects.

Brush your teeth well

Although brushing your teeth won’t affect certain types of staining which we will come to later, it will remove some surface staining from your teeth, especially if your tooth enamel is healthy (see next section). Make sure that your toothbrush isn’t old and worn and brush in a gentle circular motion for two minutes twice a day. We don’t really recommend teeth whitening toothpastes as these are often quite ineffective and may also contain enamel damaging abrasive materials.

Look after your tooth enamel

Brushing and flossing is an essential part of looking after your tooth enamel. It is not the only factor though and certain acidic food and drinks can cause the enamel on your teeth to erode. Not only does this increase the likelihood of problems like sensitive teeth and even tooth decay, but also means that the tooth surface becomes rough. This rougher surface makes it much easier for staining ingredients to attach to and also makes it more difficult to remove as they can become trapped in the tiny holes left by this. Healthy enamel means that it is less likely for your teeth to stain as quickly.

Avoid tooth staining food and drinks

There are many foods and drinks that can contribute to stained teeth. The list is very long but includes the likes of tea, coffee, red wine, dark berries and soy sauce amongst others which you can find online. These are best moderated as much as possible but where a heavily tooth staining drink is to be consumed, drinking it through a straw will help to reduce the contact of the product on your teeth.

Stay hydrated

Although brushing our teeth is essential, our mouths also help to wash away both food particles and bacteria as well as staining ingredients through the production of saliva. If we become dehydrated, we will produce less saliva to play this important role. Try to drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated. It will also help in the fight against gum disease as well.

See your dental hygienist

Whatever you do, some surface staining of the teeth is likely. Even good quality brushing won’t remove it all. The best way to do this, and to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthier, is to see our Acton dental hygienist to have a scale and polish procedure which will remove most of the surface staining on your teeth. Having this done at six monthly intervals is also an excellent method of gum disease prevention.

Don’t get older 🙂

Obviously, this isn’t something that we can avoid! The fact though is that as we become older, another type of tooth staining starts to occur. As a natural part of the ageing process, the inner part of our teeth starts to darken in colour and will show through the enamel surface. There is nothing that you can do to avoid this happening but you can have the effects reversed with our popular teeth whitening procedure which is both safe, non-invasive and also fast acting. It is one of our most popular cosmetic treatments and many satisfied patients are now walking around with a whiter smile thanks to it.

If you are unhappy with the colour of your teeth, why not arrange to have a consultation with us to discuss the best plan of action? Even if you think that your teeth are much too badly stained and it is too late to do anything about it, we can help. Porcelain teeth veneers have been successfully used for many patients with this problem, transforming their yellow or brown smile to a much more attractive white one.

To arrange your initial consultation at the Acton Vale Dental Centre, please call us today on 020 8749 3267. We look forward to helping you!