Houston Cosmetic Dental Services
Tooth Whitening
What causes stains?
There are a variety of reasons that our teeth become stained or yellowed. Some of them we can avoid and others are inevitable.
- Age
- As we age, the accumulated effects of a lifetime of eating, drinking and life-style habits will begin to show in our teeth. If you are a teen-ager or in your twenties, whitening your teeth should be fairly simple. As you approach middle age the teeth tend to take on a yellowish tinge which will be harder to whiten. In our more mature years the teeth will start to develop darker spots and will probably need professional whitening to get the desired results.
- Natural color
- Each of us is born with a natural tooth color that is unique to us. Teeth can tend toward a grayish, bluish or yellowish color. When whitening your teeth it's important to keep your expectations in line with what is possible with your natural color.
- Eating habits
- As you can imagine, a lifetime of eating certain foods will leave stains on your teeth. Deeply colored foods and drinks such as coffee, tea, colas, and red wine will leave their mark on your smile. Also, very acidic foods can damage tooth enamel. The result is tooth transparency that allows the dentin in the tooth to show through and this creates a yellowish tinge.
- Smoking
- One of the most easily avoidable stains to your teeth is the effect of tabacco. The teeth will go from yellow to brown as the accumulated effects of this habit appear. These stains are very stubborn and may need professional help to erase.
- Drugs or chemicals
- If tetracycline was used in the early stages of tooth formation it can leave brown stains which are very hard to remove. Some because of exposure to excessive fluoride have white spots or stripes on their teeth. Both of these conditions will need the help of a professional to be able to remove the stains.
- Grinding
- Many people unconsciously grind their teeth. It can be caused by tension or stress and it can be done, unknowingly, at night while you sleep. This grinding causes tiny cracks that can allow staining substances to enter the enamel.
Whatever the cause, Houston cosmetic dentist Dr. Melicia Tjoa can help you to find a whitening method that will get you the results your looking for, a bright, white smile.
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Dr. Melicia K. Tjoa, DDS - Providing cosmetic dentistry to the Houston, Texas community.
4061 Bellaire Blvd., Suite CHouston, TX 77025
Ph: 713-660-0966 | Fx: 713-660-0965
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