Know Why Your Teeth Can Become Discolored

Tooth discoloration is a common problem that causes your teeth to become an unappealing color. It can range from a deep shade of yellow to teeth that look very dark. Discoloration can happen to your teeth as a whole or even affect individual teeth. Here are some causes of tooth discoloration that you should be aware of.

Infrequent Brushing

Many people suffer from tooth discoloration because of their bad dental hygiene. They may not floss and brush their teeth regularly, which doesn't allow that plaque to be removed from their teeth. It's important to stay on top of your daily oral hygiene if you want your teeth to look great for years to come.

Eating Certain Foods

There are foods that are known to cause problems with tooth discoloration. Dark foods, like coffee or red wine, can cause discoloration from regular exposure to the beverage. Dark fruits and berries tend to have a similar effect if you eat them frequently. However, acidic foods are going to cause the enamel on your teeth to erode. This will make it easy for the teeth to become discolored without the protective layer over the teeth. Consider switching up the foods that you eat and avoid those that are known to cause discolored teeth.

Genetics

It's possible that the cause of your discolored teeth may be out of your control. There are diseases that you can inherit which are known to cause problems that can lead to discoloration. Any disease that affects the tooth enamel is going to make your teeth more susceptible to discoloration. However, that is just a side effect of weak enamel. There are diseases, such as dentinogenesis imperfecta, which are known to cause teeth enamel to appear translucent, which makes the teeth overall look darker in color. 

Medications

The medications that you take may be the reason you are suffering from tooth discoloration. Certain antibiotics are known to have a side effect of causing your teeth to become darker in color. This discoloration can also happen to children if the drug was taken while the mother was pregnant or if the drug was given to a child at a young age. 

Fluoride Overexposure

Being exposed to too much fluoride can also cause teeth that are discolored. This is due to how the fluoride makes the teeth porous and more likely to stain from the foods that you eat.

Reach out to a professional for dental services that can correct the color of your teeth.

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