Are you struggling with stained teeth?
There’s no need to be embarrassed!
This is a relatively common problem that many people are affected by. While the majority of staining isn’t indicative of any serious dental or other health problem, it can be annoying to experience tooth staining.
Luckily, there are several strategies out there to easily and effectively reduce or remove stains from your teeth! In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to get started, including:
- Understanding Types of Teeth Stains
- Different Ways to Remove Stains From Teeth
- Prevention: Tips for Stain-Free Teeth.
Let’s dive in so you can have your perfect smile in no time!
Understanding Types of Teeth Stains
Teeth staining – sometimes also called tooth discoloration – is the coloring or darkening of your teeth.
There are many different causes of staining, and they range from easily avoidable to perfectly natural.
This also means that different types of staining may be more difficult or easier to fix. In this section, we’ll go over the main types of teeth stains:
Extrinsic stains
These stains are located on the outside of your tooth on the enamel layer.
This typically means that some kind of external factor is affecting your teeth. The most common cause of extrinsic stains is poor dental hygiene. Not brushing your teeth regularly can cause them to appear yellow or uneven.
Many extrinsic stains are also caused by food and drink. Brightly colored beverages and foods – especially those with a lot of artificial coloring – can stain the teeth.
Other common culprits include coffee, red wine, tea, and soy sauce. Oral tobacco use (smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco) also often causes discoloration.
Intrinsic stains
Intrinsic stains start from the inside of the tooth and eventually become visible on the surface.
These can be more serious and are generally more difficult to remove, though it is still very much possible!
You can experience intrinsic stains from dental trauma such as broken or chipped teeth, or from cavities or infections. Some medications can also cause intrinsic staining.
Other factors
Some tooth staining is caused by other, unavoidable factors and can be extrinsic, intrinsic, or both.
This includes simple aging; as we get older, our enamel thins causing our teeth to appear more yellow.
Some diseases, treatments for illness including chemotherapy, and even necessary dental interventions can also cause discoloration.
Finally, everyone's teeth vary from person to person and some may just be genetically disposed to have whiter or less white teeth than others.
Different Ways to Remove Stains From Teeth
There are many different ways to remove or minimize dental staining.
These range in effectiveness and also may work better on some types of staining than others, so it’s important to do your research and be prepared to shop around until you find what works best for you!
When in doubt, always get the advice of a dentist before jumping into a new stain removal method.
Home Remedies
While some home remedies are said to be effective stain removers, you need to be cautious as using anything too harsh could damage your enamel and/or cause sensitivity.
Still, there are some safe remedies that you can try before taking next steps:
Brushing Your Teeth
While it may seem obvious, the first thing you should try out at home is brushing your teeth with a good quality toothbrush at least twice a day and/or after consuming anything that may contribute to staining (such as food, drink, or tobacco products).
If you don’t currently have a consistent oral hygiene routine, it’s a good idea to establish one before moving on to harsher stain removal treatments.
You can also start by using high-quality whitening toothpaste to experience results as quickly as possible.
Brush your teeth twice a day, no more. If you use too much toothpaste, you will lose enamel. Additionally, brush the backs of your teeth. Most people overlook this region, which causes dark stains to move forward progressively. Use floss to keep dentures clean between teeth. While flossing is difficult, it can save teeth.
Baking Soda
Some have found that using a paste made from baking soda has led to alleviation in staining.
Baking soda is a compound of sodium that has always used to be a natural tooth whitening agent.
However, as baking soda can be harsh, make sure to use it with caution – or better yet, use a product formulated with baking soda as it will be better balanced with other effective active ingredients!
A study published in Journal of the American Dental Association in 2017 found that baking soda containing toothpastes can be used on a regular basis and are both safe and effective at whitening teeth and removing stains from teeth.
Eating Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Eating uncooked fruit and vegetables that retain their water content can also be beneficial for oral hygiene, including stain removal and reduction.
Many of these foods also contain vitamin C, which may reduce levels of plaque-forming bacteria in your mouth.
A toothpaste containing papain and bromelain extract demonstrated notable teeth stain removal, according to a research study published in 2012. Papaya contains the enzyme papain. Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain.
Over-the-Counter Treatments
The first step that many take when looking to remove stains is Over-the-Counter treatments.
These treatments are for effective and safer than home remedies and don’t have the steep price tag that comes with professional treatments.
Here are some of the best and most popular stain removal treatments that you can do at home:
Whitening toothpaste
Trying out whitening toothpaste is a great first step on your whitening journey, as you conveniently don’t have to alter your daily routine!
Make sure to purchase a high-quality, safe toothpaste (like this one) and avoid going overboard.
If you’re sick of basic tastes, high-quality whitening toothpaste now comes in a range of boutique flavors like lemon lavender, coco ginger, or watermelon mint!
Whitening pen
If you’re looking for a whitening solution that you can use on the go, try a whitening pen!
While these pens can also be used for long-term whitening, people really love them for their ability to do quick touch-ups.
Teeth whitening kit
If you want an intensive makeover or are looking for a big change, you may see the best results with a teeth whitening kit.
Good whitening kits usually include a whitening gel and a blue LED light mouthpiece.
These treatments take more time to do at home than some other options, but they have longer-lasting results and are still a lot quicker (and cheaper) than a trip to the dentist!
You can also often find kits bundled with whitening toothpastes, pens, and other products to keep that shining smile white once you get it that way.
Whitening strips
Whitening strips are another popular whitening option! They’re super easy to use at home, and only take half an hour per application. To be cautious, it’s a good idea to use gentle, peroxide-free whitening strips to get results without upsetting your teeth.
Professional Treatments
If you’ve exhausted all other options or have special circumstances that make them unsafe or not right for you, there are also professional treatments out there to remove staining from your teeth!
These are likely the most effective solutions, but they’re also by far the most expensive, time-consuming, and invasive.
Professional Whitening
For extrinsic stains, you can opt for a dentist to whiten your teeth for you. This procedure generally involves bleaching with hydrogen peroxide over several one-hour sessions.
A bleaching agent found in both professional treatment and store-bought products is hydrogen peroxide. These solutions do more than just remove surface stains from your teeth—they actually change their color. Whitening toothpaste contains a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide than single-use products do. On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide can yield obvious effects after a longer usage duration.
Dental Bonding
For tougher stains or tooth damage, your solution could be dental bonding.
This is the process of affixing tooth-colored resin on top of the discoloration to conceal it.
While dental bonding is cheaper than more drastic procedures such as veneers, crowns, or dentures, you will likely have to go in for touch-ups more often. Additionally, is usually used as a spot treatment rather than the whole mouth
Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an option that’s growing in popularity, due to their “quick fix” nature and the perfect smiles that they achieve.
The process involves covering your teeth with a thin white outer layer that replaces any discoloration or other imperfection.
If you’re getting veneers to fix cosmetic misalignment, it’s important to keep in mind that your existing teeth may have to be shaved down – causing permanent damage.
Prevention: Tips for Stain-Free Teeth
Once you’ve removed stains from your teeth, you’ll want to make sure they don’t come back!
It’s important to remember that if your staining was caused by external factors, you’ll have to change those habits or the staining is likely to come right back. These tips are also great for minimizing staining in the first place:
Adopting a diligent oral hygiene routine
As stated above, the most important thing you can do to prevent staining is to have a consistent and rigorous oral hygiene routine.
This includes brushing at least twice a day with a high-quality toothbrush and toothpaste, flossing, as well as using mouthwash, a tongue cleaner, or other products.
Limiting consumption of stain-inducing foods and drinks
Trying to drink less coffee, red wine, or dyed beverages is a great way to prevent long-term staining.
This doesn’t mean you can never have these treats; just enjoy them in moderation, and make sure to brush your teeth after you consume them!
Watch out for dark-colored foods such as soy sauce, some curries, as well as beetroot, plums, and berries, as these are often overlooked and can also cause staining.
Regular dental check-ups and cleanings
It’s important to go to the dentist regularly, even if you’ve found an at-home routine that works for you.
They can use their specialized knowledge and equipment to make sure everything is going well and give you advice, as well as perform hygienic tasks you just cannot do at home (like calculus removal).
Dietary and lifestyle adjustments
Quitting smoking or using oral tobacco is a big step towards preventing long-term tooth staining, as well as promoting oral and general health!
While none-tobacco nicotine products like vapes and gum may not be as bad for discoloring your teeth, it’s important to know that all oral nicotine products are detrimental to your mouth health (especially your gums), as well as having overall negative health effects.
If you consume a lot of sweets and sugar, this can also lead to cavities, plaque buildup, and other negative oral health effects.
While none of these things stain immediately, they all contribute to tooth decay and discoloration in the long run!
Make sure to be extra diligent about your oral hygiene routine after consuming sweet foods and try and moderate your consumption.