Tooth Stains

Tooth Stains

Dazzling white teeth aren’t just a modern obsession. As early as the fourteenth century, Europeans eagerly flocked to barber-surgeons for a crude form of enamel bleaching. These well-meaning quacks would file a patient’s teeth with a coarse metal in strument. Then they dabbed each tooth with aqua fortis, a solution of highly corrosive nitric acid.

This procedure did whiten teeth, at least for a while. But the harsh acid so thoroughly destroyed tooth enamel that most people developed mouthfuls of painful cavities within a few years. Despite its obvious drawbacks, acid cleaning of teeth continued to be popular well into the 1700s, according to Charles Panati in his book Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. Nearly 300 years later, dentistry has developed much safer and far less painful ways to satisfy the quest for brighter smiles.

“People in their fifties, sixties, and seventies want their teeth to look as good as their bodies,” says Van B. Haywood, D.M.D., professor of dentistry at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. “This older generation is the first really healthy generation to come along. They jog, they swim, they run mar athons. They’re incredibly fit. But if you smile, and other people see yellow-brown teeth, that’s a huge turnoff. I think if you’re over age 50, tooth whitening will take about 10 years off your age.”

As you age, teeth naturally begin to appear darker, says John E. Dodes, D.D.S., dentist in Woodhaven, New York, and co-author of The Whole Tooth. Over time, tiny potholes and cracks naturally form in your teeth. These microscopic crevasses are perfect magnets for hard-to-remove food, smoke, and drink stains. Meanwhile, the hard enamel covering your teeth naturally wears down from decades of chewing and brushing. The thinner the enamel gets, the more dentin, a yellowish inner layer of the tooth just beneath the enamel, shows through and makes your teeth appear stained.

Brushing and flossing daily, along with other good oral hygiene practices like professional cleanings every four to six months, should help minimize tooth stains. But if you are concerned about the appearance of your teeth, consult with your dentist, Dr. Haywood says. He will likely suggest several procedures that can brighten your smile, including prescription bleaching agents to remove most stains and resins that bond to your teeth to camouflage more difficult stains.

Once your teeth are stain-free, here are a few ways to keep them gleaming.

Try This First

Bank on baking soda. Toothpastes that are made with baking soda can help lighten tea, coffee, and other superficial stains on teeth, says Flora Parsa Stay, D.D.S., dentist in Oxnard, California, and author of The Complete Book of Dental Remedies. In fact, the brand you’re currently using may come in a baking soda–fortified version.

“Don’t expect a lot of whitening with these toothpastes, but they will help remove some mild stains,” Dr. Stay says.

Other Wise Ways

Lighten up your brush stroke. Although it may seem logical that brushing hard would lead to cleaner teeth, that assumption isn’t correct, says Gretchen Gibson, D.D.S., director of the geriatric dentistry program at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Dallas. In fact, up to 70 percent of seniors brush too hard, which can actually strip enamel off your teeth and make them appear darker, she says.

Ease back on the pressure whenever you put a toothbrush in your mouth, she says. Brush firmly but not forcefully, with a soft-bristle brush. Leave the vigorous scrubbing to your dental hygienist.

Reach for nature’s toothbrush. Crunchy foods like apples, celery, and carrots act like little toothbrushes in the mouth, scrubbing away at stubborn stains, says Robert Henry, D.M.D., dentist in Lexington, Kentucky, and past president of the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry.

“Certainly, brushing your teeth is much more effective than eating an apple, but crunchy foods do have many of the same abrasive qualities of a toothbrush,” Dr. Henry says. So make crunchy fruits and vegetables your first choice for between- meal snacks, he suggests.

Put out the fire. Need another good reason to quit smoking? Cigarettes literally bake tobacco stains into your teeth, says Dr. Dodes.

Make a fashion statement. To make your teeth appear whiter, select clothing colors that complement your complexion, Dr. Haywood says. In addition, the right makeup and lipstick can help a woman improve the look of her smile.

“In general, the color schemes that make your skin look the best will also help make your teeth look their best,” he says. A wardrobe or beauty consultant at an upscale department store should be able to help you choose appropriate clothing and makeup, according to Dr. Haywood.

Don’t nail it. Don’t use your fingernail to remove tooth stains, Dr. Stay urges. “Believe it or not, the enamel on the outer surface of the tooth isn’t as hard as a rock. So a fingernail can actually scratch the enamel,” she says. Once it is scratched, debris can lodge in the enamel, worsening the appearance of the original stain and making the tooth more prone to cavities.

Sit on the bleachers. Avoid using over-the-counter (OTC) tooth bleach without talking to your dentist first, Dr. Haywood says. Even though these products are far less potent than prescription bleach, some are still so abrasive that they can dangerously erode tooth enamel and really make your teeth appear darker. OTC bleaching kits—particularly those containing a conditioning toothpaste, whitening gel, and polishing rinse—can increase gum irritation and tooth sensitivity. And since they just whiten your natural teeth, any discolored fillings you have will stand out like a Winnebago moored in a trailer park of Airstreams.