Let's Talk About Getting Rid of Surface Stains

We’ve all been there. You’re out with your friends, and a friend of a friend joins the gathering, and you just can’t stop staring at her smile. It’s just so amazingly bright and beautiful. Suddenly, you become obsessed with your smile and how it is less than stellar. Now what?

Surface stains are a fact of life, says Jose Marcano, DMD, at the Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. The good news is you can get rid of surface stains, brighten your smile, and be that person with the enviable, pearly white smile at your next event.

Tooth anatomy

A great place to start this discussion is to do a quick review of the four parts of a tooth: enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp. Enamel is the super-strong outer layer that protects all the inside parts of the tooth. It is also the part of the tooth affected by surface stains.

Right under the enamel is cementum. This part is connective tissue, which performs two critical functions: it stabilizes the tooth by attaching to fibers that anchor the tooth in the jawbone, and it also teams up with enamel to protect the next part of the tooth, called dentin.  

Dentin is a series of tiny hollow canals that can impact the nerves of the tooth if the enamel layer gets damaged, exposing the dentin layer. If you have ever suffered from a bout of tooth sensitivity, you are all too aware of how this scenario plays out.

The final part of the tooth is the pulp, which is the center part where blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue are located. If you have ever had a root canal procedure, this is the area of the tooth that gets a deep cleansing to eliminate infection and save the tooth. 

Staining and tooth discoloration

With dull or stained teeth, the issue lies with three main factors: surface stains, also known as extrinsic stains, physical changes in your tooth material, or a blend of both factors.

Surface stains occur when pigments from foods, beverages, or tobacco accumulate, creating a film of protein that covers the tooth enamel. Regular professional hygiene cleanings and a vigilant at-home oral care routine can help prevent surface stains.

Intrinsic stains occur below the enamel. Factors like excessive fluoridated water, trauma to a tooth, or certain tetracycline antibiotics may contribute to intrinsic staining, which is more challenging to tackle.

Age-related stains connect back to tooth anatomy. As you age, your enamel becomes thinner, and the dentin layer, which is naturally yellow or a light brown, shows through. These intrinsic causes of discoloration, combined with extrinsic causes such as the effects of certain foods, beverages, and tobacco, will cause most adults' teeth to discolor with age.

One appointment away from a beautiful, bright smile

Here at Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Marcano and our highly experienced team help patients remove surface stains using one of the industry’s most recognized teeth whitening brands – Philips ZOOM!

The beauty of this treatment is that you can brighten your teeth to the tune of up to eight shades whiter in the time it usually takes to go out to lunch. But that’s not all. Because your provider does all the work, there’s no guesswork or messing with DIY solutions to deal with. You just sit back and relax.

The way it works is that after protecting your gums and tongue with a rubber sheet, Dr. Marcano applies a whitening solution to your teeth. In about 20 minutes, the whitening agents start working. Next, your provider activates the solution using a special ultraviolet light, which breaks up the stains. Your dental provider repeats this sequence several times until you reach your desired whitening goals.

If your smile needs a tune-up and you want to learn more about teeth whitening, request a whitening consultation at Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. Call the office today at 689-220-2651 to book an appointment.