Brown Stains Between Teeth: Causes and Solutions

The presence of brown stains in between the teeth is a normal situation and it may make one feel embarrassed about his smile. It might be coffee or smoking or even natural aging process, but such stains may have an impact on your self-esteem and oral health. But is there no need to worry, there are easy means of disposing them, and still better still, ensuring that they do not come again. In this blog post, we are going to get into the reason behind brown stains between your teeth and provide some simple solutions to enable you to have a brighter clean smile.

What Causes Brown Stains Between Teeth?

It is good to know the cause of brown stains before you can dispose them. The following are the most frequent forms of causes of brown stains that may be found in between your teeth:

Poor Oral Hygiene

Poor oral hygiene is one of the primary reasons of brown stains between teeth. Unless you brush and floss regularly, there is an accumulation of plaque on your teeth. Plaque is an adhesive sheet of bacteria that may become hardened as tartar otherwise. The long stay of plaque and tartar on your teeth may cause discoloration between your tooth and you may end up having brown stains between your teeth.

Food and Drinks

Some of these foods and beverages will cause stains on your teeth. Culprits are well known and include coffee, tea, wine and berries. Such beverages have tannins that are natural substances, which may stick to your teeth and give stains. Even certain sauces, such as soy sauce or tomato based pasta sauce, have the potential to build up on the stains.

Tobacco Use

Smoking as well as chewing tobacco, will eventually stain your teeth. Tobacco also has tar and nicotine which leaves your teeth yellow and brown. Whether you are a smoker or use tobacco, it is necessary to know the effects it has on the look of your smile.

Aging

As you get old, the enamel covering of your teeth is automatically worn, and this makes your teeth prone to stains. When it gets thin, the yellow dentin underneath may be visible hence stains will be more visible. This is one of the reasons why older adults are likely to observe that the presence of stains between their teeth is becoming increasingly frequent.

Dental Conditions

There are some cases of dental condition that may give rise to brown stains. Due to the example of untreated cavities or the accumulation of tartar, discoloration can be caused. In case you have any dental health complications that you have not taken care of, they might cause staining. One should go to the dentist regularly to ensure that the problems do not deteriorate.

Medications

There are drugs that may result in discoloration of teeth. When taken in childhood, antibiotics such as tetracycline may also have the effects of discolouring the teeth. Even some antihistamines or other blood pressure drugs can lead to staining as well, but particularly when taken long-term.

How to Get Rid of Brown Stains Between Teeth

Having established what it takes to cause these stain, we will now consider some of the best methods of removing them.

Brushing and Flossing

Brushing and flossing helps you to avert and minimize brown stains between your teeth. Brushing two or three times per day assists in getting rid of the food particles and the plaque that would cause staining. Always floss your teeth, since flossing helps in removing food and plaque between your teeth, which your toothbrush cannot get to.

Whitening Toothpaste

Using whitening toothpaste may be a convenient option in case your teeth are lightly stained. Whitening toothpaste is made of special chemicals which assist in dissolving the stains, without harming the enamel. Also, it is important to select toothpaste that is not too rough on your teeth and not incredibly tough like abrasive ones which may eventually erode your enamel.

Home Remedies

Home remedies can help remove brown stains as seen by some people. The choice is the use of baking soda, which is slightly abrasive and could remove the stains. Baking soda can also be used to make a paste, mix it with a little water and brush it to your teeth. Activated charcoal is another alternative which is believed to be effective in absorbing the stain. Remedies should however be applied with caution and not repeatedly because they are abrasive when over applied.

Professional Cleaning

When you are not able to remove the stains at home, or when the stains are more difficult to remove, going to your dentist and have the stains removed by a professional would be a great idea. Dental hygienist is able to get rid of accumulation of plaque and tartar which could be the cause of the stains. This is a safe and effective cleaning that would make your teeth brighter instantly.

Teeth Whitening

You can also opt to use teeth whitening procedures in order to get more detectable brown stains. You will find the wide variety of options, including home whitening regimes like whitening strips that may be purchased over the counter and also professional treatments at the dentist. The professional treatments are also more costly, yet faster and more efficient. When you want to use the over-the-counter products, ensure that they are tooth safe and that you take the instructions by heart.

Laser Teeth Whitening

In the case of the more stubborn stains, laser teeth whitening is a superior intervention that may be adopted. A dentist employs a special laser in disintegrating stains on the teeth. This technique may be costly as compared to alternative therapies, however, it is very effective with deep stains.

How to Prevent Brown Stains from Returning

After you have dealt with the brown stains between your teeth, then you are likely to be curious how to keep the ugly stuff away. Here are some tips to help:

Stick to a Good Oral Hygiene Routine

Best precaution against stains is to brush and floss daily. Always brush your teeth at least thrice a day with fluoride toothpaste with floss one day. This assists in getting rid of the plaque and stains are prevented in the early stages.

Drink Water

Rinse your mouth with water after eating or drinking stain causing foods or beverages. Consumption of water can be used to wash away any particles that may cause staining. Another thing to consider is to drink water after consuming coffee or tea in order to ensure that their effects on your teeth are reduced.

Rinse Your Mouth

In case you are unable to brush your teeth immediately after a meal, you can clear the mouth by rinsing it either with mouthwash or water before the food can set stains. Mouthwash can also kill bacteria that can cause the accumulation of plaque.

Regular Dental Check-ups

Visiting your trusted family dentist is also important to ensure good oral hygiene and be able to avoid the development of any stains. Your dentist is also able to clean the teeth professionally quite in time, guaranteeing that they do not develop any stains over an extended period of time.

Avoid Smoking and Excessive Alcohol

Reducing smoking and excessive drinking of coffee, tea or alcohol will lower the risk of acquiring brown stains. It is difficult to quit these habits, yet even minimization of the habit can positively impact on your smile.

Conclusion

It is a widely-known problem of having brown stains in the teeth yet, it is also highly curable. Through the knowledge of the cause and simple measures such as brushing, flossing and regularly attending your dentist can make your teeth look bright and healthy. In case of some hard to remove stains, you can use professional treatments and household remedies. To make sure your smile appreciates you, just be sure to practice good oral care.

In case you worry about the constant stains or you seek the guidance on the most suitable treatment measures to address you, you could not fail to set a meeting with your dentist.