Permanent Stains On Teeth: Why They Occur And How To Get Rid Of Them

The first thing that people will notice when you walk up to them is your smile and nowadays with the advent of social media, a perfect smile is considered a pre-requisite. There is very little room for teeth that are not perfectly aligned or have stains on them. Most people, in fact, associate stains on the teeth with poor oral hygiene and while that may be true in some cases, it is not even a factor in others. A lot of the time, people have stains on their teeth which are permanent in nature and thus require extensive treatment to correct.

Here are some common causes of permanent stains on the teeth.

Fluoride Stains

Fluoride added to the water source was found to be very effective in reducing the incidence of tooth decay. This led to a lot of dental health projects which advocated the addition of fluoride to community water for the sake of improving dental health. Unfortunately, this had one side effect which was discovered quite a bit later. Fluoride levels above a certain level in the water can cause a disruption in the normal mineralization process of the tooth and lead to the development of staining.

The deciduous teeth (milk teeth) start developing within the first few months of intra-uterine life while permanent tooth buds start developing around birth. This means that high-fluoride water consumed by the mother will have an effect on the first set of teeth while that consumed by the baby itself will affect the permanent dentition.

Trauma

Children fall. Often. There is just no way around it. This or any other blow to the teeth can result in damage to the underlying tooth bud. Depending upon the severity of the blow, the resultant damage in the mineralization will be visible once the tooth has erupted into the oral cavity. The discoloration may be a fine line across the tooth or a complete discoloration of the tooth itself.

Infection

Another condition that is referred to as "Turner’s Hypoplasia" is responsible for a single tooth becoming discolored permanently. The main culprit here is an infection from a deciduous tooth that affects the developing tooth bud.

The close proximity of the tooth bud to the deciduous teeth means that any infection spreading into the surrounding tissues from the affected root canals should be taken seriously.

Tetracycline Ingestion

The tetracycline class of antibiotics is completely contraindicated for ingestion in pregnant women as well as those that are still breastfeeding. This drug crosses the placental barrier and has a particular predilection for the hard tissues of the body. Thus, the tetracycline affects the mineralization of the bones and teeth most often.

READ Dental Health: Things That Ruin Your Smile

The kind of stains that are seen due to tetracycline ingestion will be spread across all the tooth buds present in the body at the time. While most people with access to advanced medical facilities are aware and do not take antibiotics during pregnancy, a lot of time the exposure to tetracycline occurs when pregnancy is yet to be confirmed.

Treatment For Permanent Stains On The Teeth

Genetic Disorders 

Certain conditions like Dentinogenesis Iimperfecta and Amelogenesis Iimperfecta affect the manner in which the different layers of teeth develop. Our teeth have three layers with enamel as the outermost layer, dentin inside and the pulp as the innermost layer.

The genetic conditions mentioned above cause a discoloration of the outermost layer, a decrease in the strength of the enamel and dentin or even prevent one layer from forming at all. The teeth are extremely short-lived in such conditions since they are very prone to developing disease.

Treatment

It is often impossible to ascertain as to what the exact cause for permanent discoloration was in patients, however, clinically speaking, it does not make much of a difference. The doctor will likely take a few X-rays to determine the structural makeup of the teeth and a likely prognosis.

If the teeth are found to be severely deficient in their development, then extraction followed by an acceptable prosthesis is the only option.

For teeth that are only affected aesthetically but are otherwise structurally sound, many options exist.

Bleaching

Mild fluoride stains, in particular, are quite likely to lighten or even resolve completely following tooth bleaching. The advantage of this method is that it is relatively affordable, can target a whole set of teeth in one sitting, and is minimally invasive.

Care should be taken in those patients that complain of sensitivity prior to treatment, as it will only worsen once bleaching has been performed.

Veneers

For teeth that have stains not conducive to bleaching and/or structural defects, veneers are the perfect option. Veneers are a thin layer of porcelain that is designed to form a façade over the front of the teeth.

They do not require much tooth preparation, however, those patients that have severely compromised teeth may need root canals prior to tooth preparation. The advances in structural quality of the veneers have meant that they last for decades without causing any trouble and can be quite easily replaced if they ever need to be.

This is by far the most common option that is used to treat permanent tooth stains.

READ The Shocking Truth about Dentists: They Over-treat

Crowns And Bridges

For people that have lost a few teeth due to their structural deficiencies and need to have teeth replaced, bridges are a good option as they allow the correction of malformed teeth still in the mouth alongside as well.

This option is considered only secondary to veneers because it requires the cutting away of a lot more tooth structure. The aesthetic results, however, can be frequently achieved on par with what veneers can offer.

Conclusion

The presence of permanent stains can affect the self-esteem and psychological development of people due to their extremely visible nature. It is important to recognize their presence and look for suitable options at the right time.