Please verify your email address to receive email notifications.

Enter your email address

We have sent you a verification email. Please check your inbox and spam folder.

Unable to send verification, please refresh and try again later.

  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What causes stains on my teeth?

    Related Topic
    Oral Health
    I have yellow stains on most of my teeth. Besides using whitening products, what else can I do to prevent them?
    answer this question

  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • 3

    Thanks

    Dr Arnold Baume

    Dentist

    Teeth are not stained by plaque . Teeth that have a rough surface or are porous can pick up stains from almost any food source . Sometimes smooth enamel teeth can become darker or yellow .  People 50 + can have darker teeth . Sometimes  a saliva membrane or “skin ” can form on teeth that becomes darker or yellower . Teeth discolouration have many different causes . Tetracycline staining and other antibiotics can cause staining when the tooth form etc . Some medicines can also discolour teeth (after the teeth have formed ) depending on their reaction with saliva.
      The question is how can we remove the discolouration . Professional whitening (by a dentist) can give you the best results . This may involve bleaching agents as well as some  form of  illumination or light on the teeth .  Sometimes we use lasers to whiten teeth . The trick is HOW DO YOU SUSTAIN THE NEW LIGHT COLOUR OVER LONG TERM PREVENTING RELAPSE OF THE DARK COLOUR ????  Well that is another topic we can discuss

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
    Reply to this post

    You must be a Health Professional to reply to this post. to your account or now (it's free).

  • 1

    Thanks

    Dr Kevin Jaffar

    Dentist

    Jaffar Dental - Trusted and Established since 1997. We are a family owned General Dental Practice offering a friendly and caring environment in Waterford QLD. … View Profile

    1/ Smoking
    2/ Tea/ Coffee/ Red wine
    3/ Natural ageing of teeth
    4/ Erosion of tooth enamel due to acidic diet.

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
    Reply to this post

    You must be a Health Professional to reply to this post. to your account or now (it's free).

  • 2

    Thanks

    Dr Michael Leong

    Dentist

    Welcome to Just Dental Care. “We do CARE”. We provide quality care and affordable dentistry to you and your family. We provide a comprehensive range … View Profile

    What causes stains on my teeth?

    The main things that causes stains to teeth are

    • coffee, red wine, tea, and foods that contain cumin.
    • Smoking can also leave stains on your teeth.

    For teeth to look yellow the potential causes can be
    • old age, whereby teeth change colour over time.
    • loss of enamel whereby the underlying dentine (yellow in colour) is exposed.

    What can I do to prevent my teeth from going yellow?
    • reduce the consumption of foods and beverages that may stain your teeth
    • rinse your mouth out after consuming your beverage
    • stop smoking
    • brush more gently and stay away from whitening toothpastes (they are abraisive)

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
    Reply to this post

    You must be a Health Professional to reply to this post. to your account or now (it's free).

  • 1

    Thanks

    Dr Sylvia Fayez

    Dentist

    DG Dental team is dedicated to serve you by friendly and professional staff in a comfortable environment to achieve beautiful smile and healthy mouth View Profile

    Wine
    Tea
    Coca cola
    Sports Drinks
    Smoking
    Berries
    Soy sauce
    Tomato Sauce
    Curry sauce
    Sweets

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
    Reply to this post

    You must be a Health Professional to reply to this post. to your account or now (it's free).

  • 3

    Thanks

    Dr Jeremy Rourke

    Dentist

    The most staining things are dark Asian sauces like Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce and Hoi Sin Sauce. Black tea and black coffee come next with white tea and white coffee staining less because the milk chemically binds with the tannins in the tea and chemicals in the coffee. Smoking is not as staining compared to other causes as most people think.

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
    Reply to this post

    You must be a Health Professional to reply to this post. to your account or now (it's free).

answer this question

You must be a Health Professional to answer this question. Log in or Sign up .

You may also like these related questions

Related Fact Sheets
Related Questions

Empowering Australians to make better health choices