Why The Edges Of Your Teeth Keep Getting Stained
Posted on: 11 July 2018
Whether you use a whitening toothpaste, have your teeth whitened regularly, or it just happens on its own, noticing that the edges of your teeth have become stained can be irritating to anyone. This is a common problem for many people, and it's important to know how to handle the situation beyond simply having your teeth whitened. Here's why you're most likely going through this and what you can do about it.
Your Flossing Habits
If you're having this problem, it most likely indicates that there's an issue with your oral hygiene habits.
Most people who have this problem either don't floss on a regular basis or don't do it properly. If you don't floss at all, you're very likely to experience this issue, especially if your tooth brushing habits are also lacking. However, it can still happen to people who do floss every day if you're not flossing as well as you should.
How Not Flossing Causes Stains
If you don't floss on a regular basis, food debris and bacteria gets left behind between your teeth. When these pockets of bacteria are allowed to thrive, they chew on the nearest tooth surface, which is typically the edge of your tooth that's parallel to the edge of the next tooth. Bacteria can cause discoloration from allowing your teeth to stain if you've eaten or drank something that typically stains teeth, like coffee or grapes. Furthermore, the bacteria can break down the enamel protecting the edge of your teeth, which may allow a yellow or brown color to appear due to the dentin underneath.
If you do floss regularly, but you don't carefully scrape the edges of your teeth while flossing, some bacteria may still be left behind that can cause this problem.
Solving the Problem
Taking care of this problem is thankfully easy. The first thing to do is to schedule a full dental cleaning to remove any built-up plaque and tartar from between your teeth, which can also create a yellow or brown appearance.
Once your teeth are clean, have your teeth professionally whitened. Professional whitening is the best way of not only getting the white smile you're looking for but ensuring that it lasts a long time.
From there, simply make sure to floss every single day. To floss well, make sure to pull the floss while holding it taut against each tooth. This will ensure that you get as much bacteria and plaque out as possible. If you'd like, you can also use mouthwash or a water flosser after flossing to blast away more.
Having the edges of your teeth turn yellow or brown isn't something you have to put up with. By improving your oral hygiene and seeking out teeth whitening services, you can maintain your results for much longer than before.
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