How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Treat Intrinsic Stains
Posted on: 26 April 2022
Intrinsic stains occur when staining molecules penetrate the enamel layer of your teeth. This can occur because of medication, genetics, or tooth decay. Unfortunately, teeth-whitening treatment doesn't remove intrinsic stains, because these stains are inside the tooth. Teeth-whitening treatment only removes stains from the surface of teeth. Fortunately, teeth whitening isn't the only cosmetic route that you can take to combat tooth stains. Several effective treatments can cover intrinsic stains completely.
Composite bonding
The most inexpensive way to treat intrinsic staining of teeth is to use composite bonding. With this treatment, a dentist checks the shade of your teeth, then mixes a resin that contains glass, silica, and ceramics. They can tailor the shade of the resin to match the shade of your natural teeth so the bonding blends in well with the other teeth in your smile. The dentist then places the resin onto the stained tooth and molds it into position. Once the resin has hardened, the dentist will polish it until it resembles your other teeth. The staining will no longer be visible. The weakness of composite bonding is that it will stain over time if exposed to staining foods regularly. Composite bonding can also chip.
Porcelain veneers
The more expensive version of composite bonding for intrinsic stains is porcelain veneers. These thin shells are lab-made to match the exact shape and shade of your natural teeth. Once a dentist glues one of these shells to your stained tooth, your tooth stains will be invisible. The weakness of porcelain veneers is that to place them onto a tooth, the tooth must first be reduced. A dentist needs to remove some of the enamel layers from the front of the tooth so that when they do place the porcelain veneer over it, the tooth doesn't look too bulky.
Porcelain crowns
Sometimes, intrinsic stains are caused by or accompanied by tooth decay. This means that there is also likely some damage to the tooth as well the intrinsic staining. In this case, bonding or porcelain veneers probably won't provide enough structural support for the tooth in question. So a dental crown is a better option. Dental crowns slip over the stained tooth completely, hiding stains and providing structural support. The weakness of dental crowns is that you need to sacrifice some of your tooth in order to have the crown placed over it.
If you have intrinsic stains, then one of these cosmetic approaches can help. Seek out a cosmetic dentist or dental office, such as Thomas J Gilbert DDS PC / Royal Oak Dental, near you to learn more.
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