While it may make you feel alienated, it may be heartening to know that you are not the only person out there dealing with discoloured teeth. It’s actually a very common problem and is caused by a variety of different factors. If you are interested in finding a solution or treatment for this problem, it is best that you understand what causes it in the first place and that is what we are going to consider in the following post.
Genetics
This may well be one of the more surprising causes on our list. That doesn’t stop it being true. Have you noticed that some people have great teeth just like their parents and grandparents? Genetics do play a part in the thickness and brightness of the enamel of your teeth. This in turn can obviously have a negative effect on the colour.
Medical Conditions and Diseases
There are some diseases, that may not have an obvious connection to teeth that can have an effect on the enamel of teeth. Conditions like celiac disease, eating disorders, rickets, liver disease, calcium deficiency and metabolic diseases can all cause discolouration.
Accidents
Damaging your teeth in some way, whether its chipping it when you fall over or some other kind of trauma, damages the enamel. Damaged teeth will often change in colour and lose that bright white gleam that they used to have.
Growing Older
Tooth enamel does not stay the same forever, even if it is looked after properly. Therefore, as you et older, it wears down, making the layer beneath the enamel, the dentin, more visible. Dentin has, as you might have guessed, a yellow colour.
Foods and Drinks
We are now moving onto the more obvious causes of discoloured teeth. What you put in your mouth, whether its food or drink, can have a direct impact on the health and colour of your teeth. Even with regular brushing. What kind of foods and drinks are the worst culprits? You may already know that fizzy drinks, some fresh juices, wine, tea and coffee can stain your teeth, thanks to their high concentration of acids.
The interesting thing is that there are even foods that are considered healthy that can stain teeth, like tomatoes, raspberries, potatoes, cranberries, citrus fruits, cherries, blueberries, beets and apples. Generally, if a particular food stains your clothes it is likely to stain your teeth too.
Smoking
Another cause of discolouration that you are probably very well aware of is smoking. As well as increasing the chances of you suffering from an oral health issue like gum disease or something similar, smoking regularly will also make your enamel turn that ghastly yellowy colour much quicker.
Poor Oral Hygiene in General
Yet another cause of discoloured teeth that is unlikely to come as a shock for most reading this is poor oral hygiene in general. By not keeping to a regular schedule of brushing and flossing, you allow food debris and bacteria to stick to your teeth and spread around them. This leads to staining. When you combine bad oral health habits with other causes listed on this page, you are more or less asking for your teeth to be discoloured and yellow.
Now you have a better understanding of what causes your teeth to be discoloured, it’s a good idea to start looking at suitable solutions. Estetica Dental Lab in London can help you with your discoloured teeth by providing veneers, dentures and other cosmetic dentistry such as teeth whitening procedures.
Talk to your own dentist or get in contact with the dental lab today to find out more about their services and what might be the right course of treatment or procedure for you.