Your smile can be heavily compromised if you have brown spots on your teeth. They become quite prominent when you talk, eat, or smile. It takes more than brushing your teeth twice a day to fix stained teeth.
Before getting to know how to get rid of brown spots on teeth, let’s first shed some light on what causes them:
What Causes Brown Spots on Teeth?
- The most common cause of stained teeth happens to be the use of nicotine-containing tobacco products. These include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, and cigars.
- Certain food products also leave stains on teeth. These include coffee, red wine, cola, tea, blueberries, pomegranates, blackberries, etc.
- Tooth decay is another common condition that leads to the appearance of brown spots. In this condition, the teeth’ enamel starts to erode, resulting in plaque formation. If it isn’t removed, cavities start to form and brown spots appear on teeth.
- Plaque, if not removed, can turn into tartar. It can take the form of a yellow or brownish shade.
- Some people have less enamel as compared to what’s generally required due to environmental or genetic factors. In some cases, it’s due to maternal illness, exposure to toxins, and vitamin deficiencies. This condition is called enamel hypoplasia. It appears as yellow or brown spots.
- There have been causes of trauma to the mouth resulting in tooth nerve damage. This can lead to the appearance of brown spots. In fact, teeth may turn brown completely.
- Old dental work, including white fillings, can also lead to teeth staining.
- The use of certain medications, such as doxycycline and tetracycline can stain teeth as well.
Besides the aforementioned, celiac disease, aging, chlorhexidine mouthwash, and genetics are other common reasons that can make brown spots appear on your teeth.
Whether there’s one brown dot on teeth or multiple spots, these dental tips and procedures can help you remove them:
Good Oral Hygiene
If the cause of brown spots is enamel hypoplasia, practicing good oral hygiene can help to fix them. You can also opt for bonding or sealing treatments to protect your teeth from routine wear and tear.
Home Whitening Treatments
If there are surface stains, at-home whitening treatments may prove to be effective for you. These include the use of bleaching kits, whitening strips, and whitening toothpaste. However, it is important to note that these treatments may not work for all types of tooth discolorations.
Whiteners
Whiteners can also help to fix spots on teeth. But, bear in mind that they do not offer a permanent solution. You need to use them consistently if you want to achieve optimal results. Having said that, do not overuse them. It can lead to thinning of tooth enamel. Also, only use products having an ADA Seal of Acceptance.
Professional Whitening Procedures
You can easily get a professional whitening procedure from any dentist in your area. They use advanced tools and methods to remove discoloration and stains from teeth. Some popular professional whitening procedures include:
- Chairside Whitening
- Dental Prophylaxis
- Porcelain Veneers
- Power Bleaching
- Composite Bonding
These treatments are highly effective and they offer instant results as well. Furthermore, their results may also last up to three years. If you are good at maintaining optimal oral hygiene, the results may last longer. On the other hand, smoking, drinking too much, and poor oral hygiene have the opposite effect.
Final Thoughts
Your smile is the focal feature of your face. Thus, it shouldn’t be compromised. So, if brown spots are stopping you from flaunting your beautiful smile, get one of the aforementioned treatments for yourself.