Four Unexpected Ways that You Could Stain Your Teeth

teeth whitening Myrtle Beach SCVillage Family Dental in Myrtle Beach, SC understands that a white smile is something which most people struggle with. Tooth discoloration is something rather difficult to avoid and the reason for this is because the very same things that we place into our mouths in order to nourish us are sometimes the culprits for why we have yellow teeth. Some of the agents of tooth discoloration include:

1. Pigmented Drinks

Drinks that are heavily colored have a way of seeping into the enamel region of your teeth and staining the translucent layer. Some of the popular examples of colored drinks which can turn your lovely white smile into a yellowish one include coffee, soda, tea, and wine. However, because you cannot always avoid consuming any of the aforementioned beverages, does that mean you’re doomed to lose your bright smile? Not necessarily. You can try swishing water inside your mouth after a couple of sips of your staining drink in order to limit the exposure of the beverage with your enamel, and preventing the extent of the damage.

2. Smoking

There’s no good reason to smoke, but because the habit is very addictive, it’s understandable why so many people in Myrtle Beach, SC are still hooked. The reason why smoking can change the color of your teeth has to do with the 22 chemicals that are found in every stick of a cigarette. These chemicals are activated the moment that you light up and they are left on the surface of your teeth. These activated substances react with the enamel, causing the yellow stains.

3. Medications

Certain drugs are also known to turn the color of your smile from white to an embarrassing shade of yellow. Most of these drugs are antibiotics such as tetracycline and doxycycline. However, these drugs are only known to stain developing teeth, such as those of children who are aged 8. Ironically, even mouthwash products can also stain your teeth, particularly those which have chlorhexidine as its main component.

4. Fluoride

It seems like a joke but fluoride can actually cause stains in the permanent teeth of children if the little tykes are exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride. The condition called dental fluorosis ensues when a child is exposed to high levels of fluoride before his or her permanent teeth are able to emerge, then the teeth might be heavily stained and can even contain groves in severe cases when they do come in. For this reason, parents in Myrtle Beach, SC are not advised to use toothpaste on their children until they reach the age of 2 and to only use a pea-sized amount.

Regular brushing and flossing is a great way to prevent stains to your teeth, but you still need to visit your Myrtle Beach, SC dentist, Dr John Rearden, twice yearly for your teeth whitening benefits.

photo credit: Evil Erin via photopin cc

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