The Connection Between Smoking and Teeth Discoloration: How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Help

Smoking is detrimental to our overall health and oral health. Tobacco use increases the risk of oral issues such as discoloration, tooth decay, tooth loss, gum disease, and oral cancer. Fortunately, cosmetic dental treatments will allow you to smile confidently. Some of these treatments include teeth whitening, veneers, and composite bonding. If you have teeth discoloration visit our dentist in Loveland for a customized teeth whitening procedure.

How Smoking Causes Dental Stains

Smoking turns the teeth yellow or yellowish brown after a while. The leading cause of tooth discoloration from smoking includes tar and nicotine. The nicotine and tar seep into the tooth’s enamel through tiny pores. The tar adds a brown tinge to the teeth, while nicotine causes yellow stains when mixed with oxygen. Yellowing and browning of the teeth can be very pronounced and lead to low self-esteem and confidence when smiling or laughing with others.

Cosmetic Treatments for Tooth Discoloration

Cosmetic dentistry removes dental stains or discolorations with a bleaching agent or covers the tooth with dental restorations. Your dentist’s treatment option will depend on why your teeth are stained or discoloured. For stains caused by smoking or tobacco use, unfortunately, even multiple whitening sessions cannot do. This is because tobacco stains are extrinsic; they are surface stains that can be difficult to remove. Then the dentist will recommend using veneers, crowns, or composite bonding to hide away the discoloration. Here are teeth whitening options near you.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening treatments are an effective way to have brighter smiles with cosmetic dentistry. The treatment involves your teeth being coated with a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide, which is left for some time to remove the stains. Customized mouthpieces or trays are used to dispense the whitening product. For in-office whitening procedures, it will take half to an hour. The dentist has access to more potent and more efficient products for stain removal.

Home teeth whitening kits are another option to eliminate dental stains. While these kits vary per dental practice, they have custom-made trays that will fit on your upper and lower arch. The whitening solution is also provided and goes directly into the try, which you soak your teeth into. While over-the-counter-whitening products are similar to in-office solutions, they are less potent.

Veneers

Dental veneers are tooth-shaped shells cemented on the teeth’s front. They are customized to match your natural teeth to hide stains and other imperfections. During veneer installation, some part of your tooth enamel is removed to prevent the teeth from looking unnaturally bulky. The treatment usually requires two dental visits, the first involving teeth preparation and fitting the temporary veneers. The second visit includes removing the temporary veneers and receiving the permanent ones.

Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is an affordable tooth whitening treatment that uses resins that are a mixture of plastic and glass. The resin material is applied on the tooth’s surface to cover tooth discoloration or other dental deformities. Then, the dentist will shape the material and harden it with a curing light. Composite resins are the least invasive treatment you will find at our Cosmetic Dentistry in Loveland, CO.

Crowns

Dental crowns whiten teeth by covering stains and discoloration on all sites of your teeth. Crowns are tooth-coloured caps placed over the entire visible part of your teeth, unlike the veneers, which cover only the front surface. Unfortunately, the dental crown installation also requires the removal of enamel from the whole teeth. This is a permanent alteration that is irreversible. Visit the dentist near you for more information on dental crowns as a treatment option for teeth whitening.

How To Prevent Tobacco Stains

The best option to prevent tobacco stains is not to smoke or, if you do, stop it before the discoloration begins. Additionally, another way to reduce staining is to maintain proper oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth at least twice daily for two full minutes and floss at least once daily. Brushing after smoking or tobacco use will also help reduce staining. If you can’t brush after each cigarette, rinse your mouth with water to eliminate smoking residue. Finally, have regular dental checkups and professional cleanings to avoid further discoloration ad prevent other oral issues and treat them at their earliest stages.

Don’t let tobacco-stained teeth give you low self-esteem and embarrassment. At Fox Creek Dental by Espire Loveland, various cosmetic treatments will reverse and restore the damage caused in the long term. Visit our dental offices for more information.