According to your East Greenbush Dentist, teething staining and tooth discoloration is caused by several things that include:

Food and Drink-Tea, red wine, coffee and some times of fruits and vegetables can stain your teeth. Even potatoes and apples can cause tooth discoloration.

Tobacco-Dr. J. Craig Alexander explains that chewing and smoking tobacco will stain your teeth and can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

Poor Oral Hygiene-Poor oral hygiene habits, such as not brushing and flossing, can cause teeth staining. Brush twice and floss once a day and use a mouth wash to remove stains and plaque.

Disease-The enamel on your teeth can be affected by certain conditions such as head and neck chemotherapy and radiation. Women who are expecting can also have infections that cause teeth staining.

Medications-Doxycycline and Tetracycline, both antibiotics, can discolor your teeth, especially in children who have teeth that are developing. Mouthwashes that contain certain drugs can also cause teeth staining. Benadryl and high blood pressure can also be to blame for tooth discoloration.

Dental Materials-Silver amalgam restorations and mental to porcelain dental crowns can give your teeth a gray or black color, especially those restorations that contain silver sulfide.

Age-As you get older, so does the enamel on your teeth. Over the years, you may notice a yellowish tinge to your teeth.

Genetics-Some people are born with less enamel than others, which could cause teeth staining and tooth discoloration.

Environment-If you live in an area with excessive fluoride in your drinking water, or use fluoride supplements, you may notice tooth discoloration.

Trauma-Tooth trauma from a fall or accident can cause teeth staining and tooth discoloration in both children and adults.

If you suffer from teeth staining or tooth discoloration, call or click and schedule an appointment with your East Greenbush Dentist, Dr. J. Craig Alexander today.

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These days everyone wants a brighter smile, and thanks to tooth whitening, you really can, however, there are some things you should know before you purchase tooth whitening strips, gels or pastes from you local pharmacy.

Those over the counter whitening products may be inexpensive, but unfortunately, they are not as strong as professional tooth whitening methods. When you schedule an appointment with Dr. J. Craig Alexander in East Greenbush for professional tooth whitening, you will see better results as the products used are much stronger than what you will find over the counter.

If you still aren’t convinced about over the counter whitening products you may want to consider some of the risks involved.

Sensitive Gums

It may seem simple enough; you go to the pharmacy, purchase some whitening trays or strips, and start the process for your new Hollywood smile. However, be aware that the generic whitening trays are one size fits all and will be sloppy. If you don’t get the results you want right away, you could go overboard causing tooth sensitivity and gum irritation.

Uneven Whitening

Over the counter whitening products can lead to serious pain and uneven whitening. Strips and trays aren’t custom fitted, so your teeth may be white on the bottom and still stained on the top. If you have had professional tooth whitening, but aren’t happy with the results opting to combine OTC products, you could have an increase in sensitivity, or left with blue teeth, and unfortunately your new blue smile could be permanent.

Internal Pain

Over whitening can cause internal pain, especially if you are whitening damaged teeth. If the whitening agent used to brighten your smile gets into your tooth, you could be looking at internal damage and pain requiring treatment by your dentist in East Greenbush.

Professional tooth whitening will eliminate some of the over the counter issues, and although you may feel some sensitivity is much more effective as you will be taking home custom made bleaching trays that are made to fit your teeth. With customized bleaching trays, you minimize the risk of tooth or gum damage.

If you would like more information regarding professional tooth whitening, or any other cosmetic dental procedure, call or click and schedule an appointment with your East Greenbush Dentist, Dr. J. Craig Alexander today.

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