Types of tooth stains
Types of tooth stains
Extrinsic stain
Green stain- It’s a green appearance stain that is mostly seen in people that have enamel irregularities on the surface of their teeth (especially children where the enamel layer is not matured yet). Enamel demineralization is a common problem for people with green stain that’s why scaling is not recommended. Instead regular brushing and light selective polishing have shown to work in removing this type of stain.
Black line stain: increased iron in saliva is responsible for this stain. Oral hygiene is not a factor that causes this stain. Its seen mostly on females
Orange stain: Found in people with poor oral hygiene. The bacteria responsible is chromogenic. The solution to remove this type of stain is vary light scaling and selective polishing.
Brown stain: Is commonly found in tobacco users like tobacco smokers, tobacco chewers, spiting or dipping. Tabacco tars cause the brownish color that is obviously seen at most of the times on anterior teth. Same procedure is applied to remove the brown stain: Light scaling and selective polishing.
Food stain: the color varies on the food colorant. The pigment cause stains that are relatively easy to remove by light scaling and polishing.
Drug stain: Some chemical ingredients in different types of drugs can cause staining. The most common agents that cause these types of stains are: clorhexidine (mouthwash), stannous fluoride and extended usage of antibiotic. The stain can be removed by scaling and polishing.
Yellow stain: This stain is present in many people and it’s the most common stain found in people. The yellowish like appearance is caused by the bacterial plaque that could vary in thickness. The thicker it is the more yellowish your teeth will look like. It can be removed by regular brushing and good oral hygiene. Dental hygienist should reinforce proper OSC instructions.
Intrinsic stain
Dental fluorosis: white to brown spots appearance on the enamel surface of the tooth. It is caused by excessive fluoride intake during the tooth developmental period ( 1-13 years of age). It cant be removed by hygiene procedures like brushing flossing or professional scaling. Bleaching has shown that is the most effective way to try to eliminate these stains. Another effective way would be veneers or crowns but these procedures are high cost efficient. Its important for the clients that are over concerned with dental fluorosis to know that these stains are not signs of any systemic disease and theres nothing wrong with their teeth. They need to be aware that except the cosmetically point of view there’s no harm that could come from Dental fluorosis or any type of intrinsic stains.
Hypocalcification: Appears as white spots on the enamel surface of the tooth. It could result from high fever or different metabolic or endocrine issues that children can experience during the enamel formation period (ages 1-13).
Decalcification: It appears as a white to brown color with a smooth or rough enamel surface. Caused from the release of the acidic erosion process released during bacterial plaque biofilm formation. To reverse decalcification it is strongly recommended 0.5% fluoride rince applications to help tooth remineralization.
Tetracycline stain: gray to brown discoloration of the tooth. Caused by excessive tetracycline antibiotic intake during the tooth maturation process. The solutions applied are the same as those used for dental fluorosis ( bleaching procedures or crowns & veneers)
