What causes teeth to discolour?

Teeth can gradually change in shade as we grow older, depending mainly on our lifestyles. As you probably know certain foods and drinks can cause our teeth to discolour more quickly, picking up staining which over time can be difficult to remove.

Foods that stain your teeth:

1) Coffee: We all know that coffee is one of the worst when it comes to darkly staining your teeth. The tannins in this go- to for a pick-me- up potion is what causes a huge deal of external staining in our teeth. But did you know that it actually damages your teeth in other ways? Coffee is also very acidic, even without that extra sachet of sugar you pour in to perk you up… This makes our mouth an acidic environment, meaning anything that you eat after it can cause decay or enamel loss a lot more easily. This does not mean that you have to boycott your morning hero and walk around like a zombie until noon! By being more mindful, such as drinking your coffee with a lid/ through a straw then you can avoid some of the acidity and discolouration. Even adding a dash of milk Americano can help to reduce staining also.

2) Tea: Tea is the superhero of all drinks. Getting you through everything from a bad break up to an afternoon in front of the fire with a good book… This relaxing brew is said to calm us down and chill us out. But not many talk about the stains it leave behind on our pearly whites! Not even our health conscious- green tea drinking friends are out of the woods when it comes to staining... Research shows green tea stains our teeth a greyish colour, whilst black tea stains them a yellow colour. However, not to worry too much about missing out on your soothing friend, as research also shows that adding a dash of milk to your brew slashes the staining potential greatly.

3) Red wine: With all this great press around red wine, who can resist that second glass at the end of a long week! Whilst research makes big claims about the health benefits of red wine, we are just too familiar with the stains it leaves behind on our teeth. Staining them stubbornly with shades of grey and even black, this drink is unforgiving to our quest for white teeth perfection. However, If you are a glass half- full kind of person like me, then you could focus on the fact that it helps to prevent cavities as well as lowering your heart disease risks, and drink up! (in moderation of course)

4) Berries: Although they are infamously packed with antioxidants and other nutrients, these super-fruits may be excellent for overall health, but a menace when it comes to maintaining a glowing smile. They again contain tannins which colour your teeth strongly and tenaciously. Of course continue with consuming them as you would, the effect they have on your body health well outweighs the fact they can stain your teeth. Regular visits to the dentist, a good clean and removal of stains can soon remove the nightmares of consuming these fruits.

5) White wine: yes, white wine can be just as bad for our dreams of white teeth as red! In a different way, however. White wine does not actually cause staining per say, only darkly coloured foods can do this. It can, although, make your enamel thinner and more vulnerable- allowing stains picked up later deeper, and also making teeth generally look more yellow because of the darker dentine shining through. Sweets, chocolates and fizzy drinks: All you need is a visit to the dentist once in your life to have the fear of god put in you when it comes to all things sugar. There is a vast sea of research showing the ill effects sugar has on your general health as well as tooth health. Not only do sweets and chocolate cause the dreaded tooth decay that makes black holes and cavities in your teeth and causes tooth aches from time to time. But also the acid in them softens your enamels, which leaves this protective layer in jeopardy- not being able to protect from sensitivity and making your teeth appear more yellow in colour. Not even dentists say you’re not allowed any indulgences- just be careful not to graze on sugar throughout the day and keep them to meal times only if you are going to treat yourself. Not just food and drinks can make your teeth look discoloured.

6) Acid reflux: Internally, acid reflux can cause acid from your stomach to travel up to your mouth, leaving behind a very acidic environment. This causes your enamel to thin and the yellower dentine shining through gives your teeth a dull appearance. Tetracycline staining: Certain medications, such as tetracycline given at an early age or even to your mother when you were in her belly can cause a blue-grey tinge to your adult teeth when they erupt in a banding fashion. This can be very distressing for people who have it. For many decades dentists maintained that these cases could not be treated effectively with conventional teeth whitening and would have to have more invasive treatments such as veneers and crowns. Nowadays whitening gels have come a long way. Breakthrough technology in the kor whitening system shows us great results with mild to moderate tetracycline staining teeth. However, for more stubborn cases or for more of a perfect result, you may opt to consider going down the route of veneers. I believe crowns are just too destructive for teeth that have had no work done on them in the past. Veneers- porcelain or EMAX are a great, quick way to completely mask the underlying discolouration.

People also often talk about ‘bonding’ for such cases. In my experience this does not provide satisfactory results for me or the patient. Simply bonding filling material over discoloured teeth can still leave a grey shine through and poor aesthetics.

Fluorosis: This is when your teeth are still developing in childhood, they uptake too much fluoride (a natural occurring mineral). This fluoride incorporates itself into the structure of your teeth and in very large quantities can result in white speckling or brown mottling of your teeth. Aesthetically this is not a very pleasing look and patients may opt to whiten their teeth to hide these marks. It is worth noting, that sometimes fluorosis can be so severe that it cannot be managed by simply whitening and veneers may need to be considered. Also, another limitation with whitening is that it may make your white speckling appear worse when you first start the process as the bleaching effect may be uneven. However, a lot of the times with mild cases we can get the back ground of your teeth white enough to match with the areas of speckling, to look much better. Most of my patients are very happy with our treatment for this condition.

Are there any side effects of teeth whitening?

The main side effect from whitening your teeth using peroxide is sensitivity. This is when your teeth become sensitive to hot/ cold foods and drinks during the process. But rest assured, this is only a temporary effect. I can give further advice to ease the sensitivity during the process, and once you achieve the colour you want, you can stop the process and your teeth will return to their normal sensitivity levels.

Other less common side effects:

Burning of the gum tissues if bleach is left on them for a prolonged period of time and excess not removed. This can happen and resolves after the process is stopped within a few days.

Root resorption- a very rare side effect of whitening that can lead to shortening of the roots of your teeth.

Devitalisation- again, a very rare outcome can be the nerve death inside a tooth.

How long do the results last?

Tooth whitening gives long term results. All you need to do to maintain your new smile is keep good oral hygiene habits, avoid staining foods and regular ‘touch ups’ can be done to uphold a bright white smile. How often you would need those touch ups would depend on your diet and lifestyle, invariably the smokers and coffee drinkers need more regular treatment. You simply you can top up with a few more days of treatment, and you’re good to go sparkle again.

What sort of difference can I expect to see after teeth whitening?

Depending on the brand and concentration of bleach you use and where you start off, manufacturers say that you can typically expect to see up to 15 shades improvement in the colour of your teeth. I like to be realistic however, see our portfolio to see the kinds of results real people get for yourself.

Please note that tooth whitening is only for natural tooth structure and any fillings, crowns, bridges or implants would not be whitened, so it is best to have your whitening completed first before any prosthetic work is undertaken.

Who is not suitable for teeth whitening?

Most people are ideal candidates for treatment but there are a select few that cannot have treatment or may need to postpone their whitening procedure:

-pregnant or breast feeding mothers
-cancer patients and patients undergoing chemotherapy
-if you are wearing fixed braces then you should wait until you have finished treatment first. For Invisalign patients, however, is fine to have your whitening at the same time.
-as we mentioned previously, if you have a lot of crown or bridge work on your front teeth, you may not be suitable for whitening as it would not change the colour of anything but natural teeth.