Do you have yellowed, stained, or discolored teeth? Tooth discoloration is a common cosmetic dental problem treated at Coastal Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry. Virginia Beach, VA dentist Dr. Cappy Sinclair helps patients improve their smiles with professional teeth whitening treatment, dental veneers, and tooth bonding.
Learn more about the causes of discolored teeth as well as our treatment options below.
What Causes Tooth Discoloration?
Yellowed, darkened, or stained teeth can be caused by multiple factors:
Age: As we get older, the outer tooth enamel wears away and exposes the darker dentin beneath it. This can cause our teeth to appear discolored. Although darkening enamel is a common part of aging, many patients will want cosmetic treatments to cover teeth or whiten the enamel.
Medication: Tooth staining can be caused by certain medications. Tetracycline staining occurs during tooth development in childhood when tetracycline antibiotics become incorporated into the tooth structure. These antibiotics make the teeth appear gray.
Diet: Beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda can stain teeth. These pigmented beverages can contain tannins which easily stain the tooth enamel. If you receive teeth whitening treatment and limit your intake of these types of beverages, this can help maintain your results.
Smoking/Tobacco Use: Smoking cigarettes and using tobacco products causes tar to buildup on teeth. Over time, smoking and tobacco use can stain the teeth yellow or brown.
How to Treat Discolored Teeth
If teeth discoloration is a cosmetic dental concern for you, request a consultation with Dr. Sinclair to discuss your treatment options. Professional teeth whitening treatment, porcelain veneers, and composite tooth bonding can brighten the tooth enamel. Veneers and tooth bonding are treatments that cover discolored teeth and allow them to blend in if there are brighter natural teeth.
Teeth whitening treatment can be done at home or in our office. Using bleaching gel and/or whitening trays, patients can receive whiter teeth quickly in-office or in the comfort of their own home. Feel free to ask Dr. Sinclair any questions about your treatment options at your next consultation. He will be happy to explain each step thoroughly.