Unhappy with the staining on your teeth and think you could do with a spring clean? But you’re unsure what the best teeth stain removers out there are?
Over time brown marks will appear around the necks of your teeth. These can extend and be visible when you talk and smile. It gives a dirty appearance and it can feel grimy with your tongue. You can often feel the tartar sitting there, harvesting plaque and bad smells.
To combat these areas, there are a plethora of products that claim to remove teeth stains. Walk down the dental aisle in Tesco and your head will be spinning. Luckily for you, I know what works.
There’s a difference between staining on the outside of your tooth and internal discolouration. Here, we’re going to look at stains that can be removed on the outside, not lightening the internal colour of a tooth using teeth whitening methods.
If you’ve managed to accumulate staining or marks over your teeth then you’re an ideal candidate. Staining usually looks like a brown or black area over the outside of your teeth and you can’t just remove it with a toothbrush.
The most common reasons for teeth staining include:
Let’s clear up some misinformation generated by clever marketing campaigns first.
We’re now in a world of social media influencing. Some people will smear anything on their teeth for a few quid and tell you it works, so before I tell you what the best teeth stain removers are, let me tell you what doesn’t work so you can save your time and money.
The most well-known celebrity dental promotion from the last few years.
The idea is that toothpaste contains an ingredient called ‘activated charcoal’. When brushing this binds to the areas that discolour and act as a teeth stain remover.
Great in theory, but the fact is there is no scientific evidence to suggest this works.
Activated charcoal is actually quite abrasive and if overused it can damage the enamel layer which doesn’t regrow. Also, a lot of charcoal toothpaste doesn’t contain fluoride, the key ingredient in toothpaste to protect your teeth from cavities.
Sorry, but charcoal is for your BBQ, not for your teeth.
Again, the theory is logical and I’ll hold my hands up and say it may have an effect.
A minuscule one.
Whitening toothpaste works by scrubbing stains off as you brush. Like charcoal, they have a coarser feel, and the sandy particles in them rub off the stains.
This may work for superficial minor marks, but anything more than that and it’s a lost battle and waste of hard earnt cash.
You need to be careful with whitening pastes too. Overuse can remove the enamel layer and make your teeth appear darker.
There’s only one I’d recommend for stained teeth.
And I’ll sum this up in one word – ‘hygienist’.
A hygienist has studied extensively in the art and science of teeth stain removal. Not only can they professionally remove the grime, but can give you professional advice on how to stop it building back up tailored especially for you.
You won’t even have to spend your evening reading blogs like this any more. Bonus!
Seriously though, you wouldn’t fix your own roof unless you were a builder (or stupid) so seek professional advice with your teeth too.
This is where the hygienist will remove stains on the outside of your teeth.
The process…
Firstly, the hygienist will use the scaler to remove any tartar (the crusty stuff) and tough stains. Tartar usually appears as brown stains on the back fo teeth. The scaler uses sonic vibrations and water to gently knock off the pieces that shouldn’t be there.
After the scaling, it’s the polishing stage. A polishing paste is placed on a rubber cup or brush. This is then used as a toothbrush to spruce up the surfaces and give a great shine. Think about polishing shoes with a brush, it’s the same result.
Scaling and polishing works well for outside stains and tartar, but won’t lighten them up. If you’ve been chewing tobacco or smoking 20 per day for 2 years you’ll need something stronger.
Espresso anyone?
No. Bad. Espresso stains.
So the stains on the outside are gone, hurray! But your teeth may still look dark and they will without professional whitening.
Professional teeth whitening uses solutions to gently and safely lighten and brighten your smile. If your teeth have darkened over the years this is the perfect solution to regain their youth, and turn yellow back into gleaming white.
You’ll be left with either bright teeth with brown marks on, or yellow teeth with no marks! It’s like buying a car without wheels, what’s the point?
So I promised you a formula…
Professional Hygiene Visit + Teeth Whitening = Plenty of kisses on a Friday night.
Dr Gareth Edwards BDS (Hons) is the co-owner of Smile Stories. Working from Bournemouth & Poole, he takes an interest in aesthetic dentistry. He’s passionate about orthodontics and is a certified Invisalign provider.