Stained teeth cleaning treatment – Dental Case Study

After years of smoking and drinking coffee, tea and red wine, dental patient John* came to The Fono Dental with severely stained teeth. Here we catch up with Clinical Director of Dental Dr Mowafaq Amso on John’s treatment.

Colgate says there are three main types of tooth discolouration:

1. Age-related — this is a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Dentin naturally yellows over time. The enamel that covers the teeth gets thinner with age, which allows the dentin to show through. Foods and smoking also can stain teeth as people get older. Finally, chips or other injuries can discolor a tooth, especially when the pulp has been damaged
2. Extrinsic — this occurs when the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel) is stained. Coffee, wine, cola or other drinks or foods can stain teeth. Smoking also causes extrinsic stains
3. Intrinsic — this is when the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) darkens or gets a yellow tint.

You can get this type of discoloration if:

• You had too much exposure to fluoride during early childhood
• Your mother used tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy
• You used tetracycline antibiotics when you were 8 years old or younger
• You had trauma that affected a tooth when you were a young child. A fall, for example, may damage the developing permanent tooth
• You had trauma in a permanent tooth, and internal bleeding discoloured the tooth
• You were born with a rare condition called dentinogenesis imperfecta. This causes grey, amber or purple discolouration.

Mowafaq says teeth staining is a common condition caused by smoking, drinking coffee, tea and red wine, eating foods that may stain and by not going to the dentist or hygienist regularly.

To prevent staining, Mowafaq recommends:

• Brushing your teeth after every meal
• Rinsing your mouth with water after having wine, coffee, or other food and beverage that may stain your teeth
• Visiting the dentist / hygienist regularly for cleans to help remove staining periodically

In John’s case, there was long-standing extrinsic staining, with visible discolouration in the form of spots on his front teeth. For his treatment, John underwent extensive cleaning and polishing to remove the built up stains.

The end result is a white smile and a patient that has had his confidence restored.

“John was so happy with the results and he is so much more confident and glad to show off his teeth now.”

* John is not the patient’s real name.

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