Discoloration of the enamel is a common occurrence that naturally occurs as we age and from the foods and drinks we consume. Enamel changes overtime, causing tiny cracks to develop. These microscopic openings allow tooth-staining residue to seep in. As the enamel absorbs the residue, you’ll notice the brightness of your smile begin to dim. Hill Avenue Dental is a dentist in Superior WI, offering professional teeth whitening to restore your bright smile. Once you have a beautiful new smile, you’ll need to avoid common stain-causing foods to prevent future discoloration.
Understanding Enamel Discoloration
As we age, fine lines develop in the enamel, which are invisible to the naked eye. However, the cracks and crevices are large enough for chromogens, tannins, and acids found in foods to seep in. Essentially, these compounds and acids become trapped from causing the enamel to soften. Overtime, the enamel will begin to become darker, often taking shades of yellow or brown.
When discoloration occurs, many turn to over-the-counter whitening treatments. But, these treatments are ineffective because they are not able to deeply penetrate the enamel to lift the stains. As a result, you won’t have noticeable results. But, with professional teeth whitening as a cosmetic dentist in Superior WI, we will penetrate the enamel to lift the stains for a brighter smile.
Teeth Whitening in Superior WI
Hill Avenue Dental is committed to creating generations of healthy, beautiful smiles, which is why we want to restore your amazing smile to pristine whiteness. We use Philips DayWhite and NiteWhite to instantly brighten smile by removing difficult stains. In as little as 7 days, you’ll notice discoloration fade away for a brighter, whiter smile.
While our teeth whitening in Superior WI is highly effective, if you want to achieve lasting results, you need to avoid the most common stain-causing foods. While the treatment will whiten your teeth, it won’t fix the fine lines in your enamel. As a result, discoloration can reoccur if you continue to consume stain-causing foods.
Prevent Stains with Your Dentist in Superior WI
There are a number of foods and drinks that are known to stain the teeth due to the compounds and acids they contain. The top enamel-staining foods include:
Acidic Foods and Drinks—While many believe only darkly pigmented acidic products stain the teeth, all acidic products, despite color, cause discoloration because acid softens the enamel. This includes tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, red wine, and fruit juices,
Chromogens—Foods that contain the chromogen compounds have strong pigments that are known to cling to the enamel. This includes coffee, tea, dark salad dressings, and even candy.
Tannins—Tannins are compounds derived from plants that promote staining. Any acidic or darkly pigmented plant-based products will stain the teeth, such as beets, curry, and fruit juices.
Hot and Cold Beverages—The color and compounds in products not only cause discoloration but the temperature as well. Temperature changes cause the teeth to expand and contact, accelerating the rate of discoloration when stain-causing products are consumed.
As a general rule of thumb, if a product can stain your clothes, it can stain your teeth. You don’t want your new white smile to dull, so you’ll need to avoid stain-causing products after your whitening treatment for lasting results.