Tooth Discoloration

Tooth Discoloration

White Out Yellow Stains

If you're like most adult women, the years have taken their toll on your pearly whites, tingeing your teeth with a yellowish hue.

"Women start to notice a change in the color of their teeth in their late thirties," says Fay Goldstep, D.D.S., a dentist in private practice in Markham, Ontario.

Some tooth discoloration can be traced to personal habits: Smoking yellows your teeth, and daily exposure to coffee, tea and cola drinks leaves behind brownish stains. There are also a whole variety of sometimes unexpected sources: tetracycline and other medications, severe attacks of certain childhood diseases such as measles or whooping cough, naturally super-fluoridated drinking water and even swimming frequently in a treated pool.

BRIGHTER TEETH CAN BE YOURS

If your teeth are less lustrous than you'd like, you're not alone. Dr. Goldstep estimates that three out of four women she treats in her dental practice express concern about the hue of their teeth and ask her advice about how to brighten them up.

Women dentists and other dental care professionals say that there are some things you can do at home to spiff up your smile, especially if your stains are superficial.

Chase your coffee with gum. Munch on a piece of sugarless gum after you've had your coffee or tea. Doing so will produce more saliva to swish away the darkening liquids before they have a chance to stain your teeth, says Carole Palmer, R.D., Ed.D., professor and co-head of the Division of Nutrition and Preventive Dentistry in the Department of General Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Follow it up with a brushing and flossing, and you can keep ahead of the problem, she says.

Sip and smile. Dr. Palmer also suggests you stop by the office watercooler after eating or drinking a stain-producing food or beverage, like blueberries or coffee. Merely rinsing your mouth will help cleanse your teeth and prevent stains from accumulating, she says.

Don't rush when you brush. You'd be surprised how much cleaner your teeth can be by brushing effectively with a soft-bristled toothbrush and the proper technique, Dr. Palmer says. "People concentrate on how often they brush, without worrying about how effective they are," she says.

Start with your bottom teeth. Debbie Zehnder, R.D.H., a dental hygienist in suburban Philadelphia, tells women bothered by surface stains to put a pea-size drop of toothpaste on the brush, then start with the area that tends to accumulate the most tartar, which, for many people, seems to be the lower front teeth. "Most people start in with the molars, in the back, but if you tend to get more tartar buildup on your front teeth, this isn't the best method, because most of the toothpaste is gone or diluted," she says.

Skip the kits. Home bleaching kits sometimes require that you wear firm plastic molds that look a little like athletic mouth guards. But unlike those custom-fitted by your dentist, the over-the-counter variety can irritate your gums, says Dr. Goldstep.

Toss the butts. Common sense also says that if you smoke, your tooth-whitening tactics will be in vain. So if you quit, chances are you'll have prettier teeth, says Dr. Goldstep.