Your smile is your greatest asset. You use it to greet new friends, welcome your loved ones, and maybe even get yourself out of trouble. You want your smile to look as good as it can, but often people notice that their teeth begin to look a little bit stained or discolored. To keep your teeth white, it’s important to understand what causes the discoloration.

Enamel stains on the teeth can be caused by several factors, including:

• Food and beverages – Dark food and drinks can cause your teeth to become discolored over time. For example, coffee, soda, red wine, and red pasta sauce can stain your teeth. Try to avoid these foods, and prevent beverages from touching the front of your teeth by drinking through a straw when possible. Additionally, try to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with water after consuming dark beverages or foods.
• Medications – Some medications can discolor teeth when taken by children under the age of eight, whose teeth are still developing. Additionally, antihistamines, antipsychotic, and blood pressure medications can cause the teeth to become discolored.
• Poor dental hygiene – Brushing and flossing are vital to removing plaque and food particles that cause tooth discoloration. Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice each day and floss at least once to keep your teeth healthy and white.
• Aging – When you get older, the outer layer of the tooth can become worn away, which give your teeth a yellowed appearance by revealing the dentin layer of the tooth.
• Trauma – If your mouth takes the impact of a fall or if you’re hit with a ball or other item, that trauma to your teeth can cause discoloration in both children and adults.

Keeping your teeth white and your smile bright is important to the doctors at Thirty-Two Dental and whitening is just one of the dentistry services offered by their practice in Kennesaw, GA. If you have tooth discoloration caused by any of the factors above, call Drs. Lan Vo and Sean Breckley to schedule an appointment to discuss teeth whitening. Thirty-Two Dental can help you achieve excellent results both quickly and safely with at-home dental whitening trays. With just thirty minutes a day, patients can undo the effects of years of coffee habits and enjoying red wine and achieve a brighter, whiter smile.