Types of Teeth Stains
Extrinsic Stains
An extrinsic tooth stain is a stain on the outer part of the tooth. These stains make their home on your enamel, which is the layer of the tooth that protects the softer part of the tooth (dentine) underneath. Even though enamel is the hardest part of the tooth, it comes in contact with everything you eat or drink and can absorb some of the pigment over time, causing a stain.
The good news is that extrinsic stains don’t move below the enamel to the inner part of the tooth, which means it’s easier to remove them!
Intrinsic Stains
Intrinsic stains happen when the sensitive layer underneath the enamel, called dentine, is stained. Dentine is naturally darker and more yellow in colour and is exposed when enamel is thinned or worn down from wear or inadequate oral hygiene. These stains are a little tougher to remove, but not to worry, it can be done! Most at-home techniques that do not use hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide as an active ingredient will not work to remove intrinsic stains, but a professional whitening treatment might do the trick.
Age-related Stains
Like many things in your body, your teeth show signs of aging as you get older. You can expect to see two central changes to your teeth as you age: your dentine gets darker and your enamel gets thinner. The combination causes unwanted discolouration that, unfortunately, is out of your control. Similar to intrinsic stains, age-related staining affects the dentine of your teeth. So, it would be most effective to treat these stains with a product that uses an effective whitening ingredient like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, or a professional in-office whitening.
Removing Teeth Stains
Removing Teeth Stains at Home:
- Whitening Toothpaste- Whitening toothpaste is a great way to remove teeth’s extrinsic stains from the comfort of your own home. Many whitening toothpastes contain mild abrasives that help to remove buildup and surface stains and some contain a whitening ingredient like hydrogen peroxide that goes beneath the surface to remove deep-set stains. Using a whitening toothpaste is the easiest remedy for at-home whitening, since it’s easily incorporated into something you already do (or should do) twice a day.