Whenever you’re dealing with tooth discoloration, the first thing you should do is see your dentist for a check-up and diagnosis. In some cases, discoloration can be an indicator of serious dental health issues such as trauma or a dying tooth. But if you’ve started to notice brown spots appearing, chances are good what you’re seeing is staining related to tobacco use or the consumption of foods and beverages like wine, coffee, cola, or items containing certain potent food dyes. It’s always best to check with a professional to make sure there isn’t a more serious underlying problem to blame. But if what you’re dealing with is merely staining, you’ll find that there is no shortage of ways to treat and correct the issue in order to restore a beautiful, white smile. Here are some tips to eliminate brown spots on your teeth.
The best place to start is by addressing your daily routine. First and foremost, you need to figure out which foods and beverages in your diet are responsible for staining your teeth or if tobacco use might be to blame. Changing your habits here will help to prevent further staining, allow you to more easily treat current stains, and of course, improve your oral health. From there you need to consider whether you’re making mistakes with your cleaning routine.
If you don’t brush regularly, your stains are only bound to get worse. You need to brush, floss, and rinse after every meal in order to maintain the best oral health. Or if there are times when this routine isn’t feasible, make sure to rinse thoroughly with water to amplify the natural cleansing effects of saliva. If, on the other hand, you’re already brushing, flossing, and rinsing frequently, you might want to take a look at the products you’re using. Whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes are designed to help you treat surface stains on your teeth, so switching to such products could show a difference in as little as a few weeks.
But the brown spots on your teeth might be deeper than just the surface, in which case you’ll need to work a little harder to get rid of them. If cost is a consideration (and it usually is), a home whitening kit is probably the next step to try. For about $30-50 you could get a product consisting of gel strips that penetrate deeper than the average whitening toothpaste. Although they will only whiten your teeth 2-3 shades, they could help to treat staining in the process.
And if these measures don’t address your tooth discoloration, it’s probably time to visit your dentist for professional help. The experts at Valley Dental Care or your local service provider of choice can offer you options like bleaching trays or in-office laser treatments. These are much more effective than OTC options, although they’re also more expensive. However, if you are tired of the brown spots marring your otherwise beautiful smile, and other options have not delivered the results you crave, professional intervention provides your best chance to regain your once-white teeth, as well as the confidence to smile.