Nicotine and tar are the two major components of tobacco that cause the staining of the teeth. Chronic nicotine deposits in the mouth can further lead to gum diseases, tooth loosening and cancer. The unattractive and embarrassing tobacco stains on the teeth can be a deterrent to one's confidence and cann also hamper professional and social growth. Here-below are the type of stains, solutions & useful tips to overcome 'teeth stains':-
- There are two types of stains - extrinsic & intrinsic. Intrinsic stains are the ones which have a physiological source during the tooth development period like high florine content in the residing area, drug toxicity etc.
- Extrinsic stains (like tobacco stains), as the name suggests, are external stains deposited due to liquid, solid intakes during the course of life and these can be removed easily.
- Nocotine on its own is colorless, but when mixed with oxygen it turns yellow. If we see the morphology of the tooth, the outer most layer of enamel is a porous one which causes the tar and nicotine to seep into the microscopic openings after every use leading to yellowish brosn discoloration.
Solutions: (i) Quitting Smoking (ii) Applying antiseptic mouthwash (iii) Regularly visiting dentish (iv) Rinsing the mouth & (v) Good oral hygiene.- Teeth whitening agents and hydrogen peroxide rinses are helpful to keep the teeth white. Apples, cheese and celery are also helpful in removing heavy brownish black chronic stains.
- Citrus fruits containing high levels of vitamin C also prevent stain deposits. Home-made scrub of 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and some mashed straberries rubbed over teeth with a toothbrush and rinsed after 5 minutes also show good results over a period of time.
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