Why Do Your Teeth Stain?

Tooth enamel forms gradually over several years, during which foreign substances can be incorporated and alter the eventual color of the tooth. Baby teeth can be discolored from about the fourth month in the uterus until the tenth month after birth. Permanent teeth can be affected from age four months to 16 years.
Illness, malnutrition and other types of physical stress can cause white splotches and bands on the teeth. All children have one such band, known as the neonatal line, which results from the stress of birth.
In rare cases, certain childhood infections make a single tooth yellow or brown because the enamel did not grow properly. An injury that causes bleeding in the pulp of a tooth can turn the enamel pink or gray. Also, children who suffered severe neonatal jaundice may have yellow or greenish teeth.
Excessive fluoride can give teeth whitish to dark brown splotches. The antibiotic tetracycline also can be responsible for tooth discoloration in children, causing a brownish-yellow stain that is usually not transferred to the permanent teeth.

It has also been suggested that, because they are more porous, younger teeth would be easier to bleach than older ones.
Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be excluded from bleaching procedures because there is lack of information concerning possible effects on the pregnancy.

Intrinsic Staining

This means the stain occurs from within the tooth. This type of stain cannot be removed by brushing and flossing and will get a good result with professional strength home tooth bleeching products. Some causes of intrinsic staining are staining are injury to the tooth, certain medications (such as tetracycline- Antibiotics) taken during tooth formation or an excess fluoride ingested during the formation of teeth.

Extrinsic Staining

This is staining of the tooth surface. Some sources of extrinsic stains are cigarettes, cigars, paan masala , coffee, tea, red wine or foods that contain a lot of spices. This type of staining can sometimes be removed by good tooth brushing habits or by professional prophylaxis (cleaning) but mostly need dental strength peroxide like Pure White Advanced Teeth Whitening Strips or our click and go pen.