Stained Teeth Every human being has a desire to look good. A large share of attention that you receive is usually directed towards your mouth and teeth, and it is often a vital part of the overall first impression that you make. This impression can be spoilt by teeth that are discoloured. Stained teeth tend to divert the attention of the person you are speaking to. You have probably tried a lot of unsuccessful home remedies to get rid of stains or whiten your teeth. They obviously don't work and usually require professional help to get rid of. Causes of Stains Stains could be of 3 types: They could be soft or hard deposits on the surface of your teeth. These soft deposits could be food debris which has been retained in your mouth, or plaque. The hard deposit is tartar, which is a hardened form of plaque. These deposits can be removed by daily oral hygiene and regular visits to your dentist for professional tooth cleaning and polishing.   Stains which are stuck onto the surface of the teeth. The surface stains are usually dark brown and are caused by such strong discolouring agents as coffee, tea, or tobacco. They occur mostly between your teeth and on the surfaces of crooked teeth. Stains which are actually part of the tooth. These are stains that are incorporated into basic tooth structure through faulty hardening of the tooth before birth, or the interruption of normal enamel formation by medication or disease. These types of stains may include white patches on the enamel surface or bands of brownish grey colours across the tooth. These stains are permanently locked into your tooth and cannot be removed inspite of hard brushing or harsh abrasives. Treatment of Stained Teeth There are 5 possible treatment avenues:   Polishing - this is the simplest method and involves removal of food stains caused due to drinking coffee or tea. However, excessive stains cannot be removed by this method. Also, it is useless for stains that are deep inside the tooth structure. A rubber cup or a bristle brush is used in a rotating instrument in conjunction with a paste to remove the surface stains and to smoothen the tooth surface.   Bleaching - is a new technique used to eliminate unattractive dark colours from your teeth without having to actually reduce your tooth for placement of a crown. A flexible tray is used to hold a chemical around your teeth, which then whitens the teeth by oxidizing action.   Bonding - involves adding a composite resin material to the existing tooth to simply cover the stain. The process has proven effective in eliminating stains from patients whose teeth are stained by strong medicines or have white or brown spots on their teeth. Veneers - this is an extension of the bonding technique and consists of applying a thin veneer of preformed ceramic or composite resin to the teeth. The veneer is chemically bonded to the tooth. Crowns - this is the most extensive form of treatment for stains, since the entire tooth surface has to be reduced and replaced with an artificial material such as ceramic or porcelain bonded to metal. Badly stained teeth are reduced approximately one-third in size by a fast-moving rotary instrument. Measurements are then taken and sent to a dental laboratory, where the crown is fabricated. This crown is then fitted onto your prepared tooth.
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