Intrinsic Stains Versus Extrinsic Stains
This post has actually been inspired by a comment written to my post about Teeth Whitening Procedures – what kind of teeth whitening products aid in removing intrinsic stains on teeth.
First I want to briefly explain what intrinsic stains are:
Intrinsic stains on teeth are located within the tooth anatomy (on the interior of the tooth), as opposed to extrinsic stains that appear on the surface of the tooth. The tooth enamel might have very small, invisible fissures or cracks through which the stains get absorbed into the tooth.
Unfortunately intrinsic stains are much harder to treat compared to extrinsic stains, as they cannot be reached properly within the tooth. No amount of brushing, flossing or prophylaxes can remove intrinsic stains. So essentially they are much harder to treat than the surface discoloration of teeth that can be treated at home with over the counter teeth whitening products.
But all is not lost – even though it was thought in the past that tooth bleaching could not lighten intrinsic stains, experts in cosmetic dentistry today believe that even those deep-set stains can be treated with take-home teeth whitening products as long as the tooth whitening will be supervised by a dentist, and go on for several months, possibly even a year. So despite the fact that intrinsic stains cannot be removed as such, they can be lightened in color significantly by dental bleaching.
Whatever you decide to do if you have intrinsic stains on your teeth, you need to go and see a dentist before you start any treatment.
You can find more helpful information on these sites:
[...] Intrinsic Stains versus Extrinsic Stains [...]
Minor extrinsic stains can be removed through brushing regularly. Major stains may need whitening.
You can use several items present in your house for home teeth whitening. Things like baking soda and oranges are excellent for this.
extrinsic stains appear on the surface of the teeth and are due to tooth wear and tear, tobacco, and colored beverages.
Hi,
I was interested to read your post on intrinsic stains.I always thought there was not a lot to be done for these stains but obviously things have moved on without me.Are there any products in particular that can be recommended.
There is a direct correlation between tooth color and age. Over the years, teeth darken as a result of wear and tear and stain accumulation. Teenagers will likely experience immediate, dramatic results from whitening. In the twenties, as the teeth begin to show a yellow cast, teeth-whitening may require a little more effort. By the forties, the yellow gives way to brown and more maintenance may be called for. By the fifties, the teeth have absorbed a host of stubborn stains which can prove difficult (but not impossible) to remove.
Well, Extrinsic Stains seems to be much better than Intrinsic Stains, because they are easier to use, but before that go and see your dentist!
How do stains get inside your teeth? That doesn’t make sense?
I have gone through the anatomy of intrinsic and extrinsic stains.Are the intrinsic stains are the cause of plaque.
That actually answers a lot of questions. When i was getting crowns I spent, what seems like forever, whitening my teeth so that I could get white crowns that matched. It seems now like some of the issue is that the stains were intrinsic.
This is important for people to understand because their teeth need to be treated differently.
Extrinsic staining refers to the discoloration that occurs on the surface of your teeth.
Based on the article it seems to me that you are quite experienced and know what you are talking about. But when it comes to extrinsic stains – what would be the best treatment you would recommend? Would like to hear every one’s else opinion on this as well.
Thanks
John
Thanks for getting this information out there! So many people harm their teeth by treating them incorrectly without understanding these minor, but MAJOR, differences. Education is key!
It’s important to understand the different kinds of dental stains and what products can be used to treat each type, but I’ve found that there are toothpastes that use peroxide as a bleaching agent, making those toothpastes effective against intrinsic stains as well as surface stains.