Your tooth enamel is made up of microscopic mineral crystals. Exposure to staining agents from dark foods and beverages can saturate these microscopic structures, setting stains deep into your tooth enamel.

Identifying the source of the stains on your tooth enamel will help your dentist, Dr. Alan M. Howard and Yonatan Howard, recommend the whitening products and procedures needed to brighten your smile.

Certain foods like chocolate, tomato sauce, and dark berries can have an acidic nature or staining compound that can cause surface stains that can deepen over time. Using a whitening toothpaste as part of your oral hygiene routine can reduce surface stains caused by these foods.

Dark beverages, like coffee, tea, red wine, and soft drinks, can also cause significant stains, and whitening toothpaste can also help remove those stains before they deepen. Drinking these beverages through a straw will allow you to still enjoy them without causing discoloration on your smile.

Tobacco use introduces tar and other chemicals to your mouth, which can deeply stain tooth enamel. This degree of staining usually can’t be resolved by retail-grade tooth-whitening products. Only the professional tooth-bleaching procedure offered at The Dental Office of Encino can effectively whiten tobacco-stained teeth. However, if you continue to use tobacco, your staining problems will persist.

If you need help identifying the source of stains on your teeth, or if you would like to find the best way to brighten your smile, you should call your dentist in Encino, California.