You spent years in braces (and more dollars than you or your parents might like to remember!), and you are looking forward to the day they come off, revealing bright, straight teeth. For some people, this day is overshadowed by unexpected stains on their teeth. Stained teeth from braces is a common problem, but there are ways to prevent it. Here are seven strategies to keep your teeth healthy and bright with braces.
Why do my teeth look stained with braces?
You get braces to improve not only the alignment of your teeth but also the look of your smile. So why do some patients have stained teeth after braces?
For traditional metal braces, brackets and wires are placed on the outside of teeth, with metal often anchoring them around the molars. This collection of wires, brackets, and bands can make proper dental hygiene very challenging, especially for younger children. Food particles may easily become trapped and hidden, even on the front teeth, resulting in braces stains.
Even Invisalign users have risk factors for stained teeth from braces. These clear plastic trays should be removed during eating and drinking, but not all adults follow this direction. Imagine soaking your teeth in a glass of red wine for an hour. Some adults with Invisalign aligners may be doing just that!
Types of teeth stains
There are two main types of teeth stains: extrinsic and intrinsic stains.
Extrinsic stains occur on the surface of your tooth. Yellow teeth stains from braces are usually extrinsic. These are a build-up of residue that causes the protein covering of the enamel to become discolored.
Intrinsic teeth stains often appear as brown stains on teeth from braces (and sometimes even grey, blue, or black). Intrinsic stains occur below the surface of the tooth as a result of stain-causing particles burrowing into the tooth enamel itself.
Extrinsic stains can, over time, become intrinsic as the stain-causing particles work their way through the enamel.
Causes of stained teeth from braces
Major causes of both types of stains include:
- Food and drinks: Coffee, black tea, soda, and red wine are all culprits
- Poor oral hygiene: Not removing stain-causing agents causes stains and other oral health issues
- Smoking: Tobacco use – smoking and chewing – can cause stains after braces
These are causes that are preventable. Some patients have teeth that are naturally more yellow, and this may increase with age. Additionally, some medications may cause discolored teeth that are not truly classified as staining. The same goes for trauma that causes discoloration.
Even if you have a genetic predisposition to stained teeth, there are steps you can take to prevent stained teeth from braces.
7 ways to prevent stained teeth from braces
You can take proactive steps from day one. Here are seven ways to prevent stained teeth from braces.
1. Practice proper oral hygiene
It is crucial to properly brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once.
Navigating a mouth full of metal can be challenging at first, but stick with it. With practice, you will become a pro!
2. Visit your dentist for regular cleanings
No matter how good you get at brushing, nothing beats the clean teeth you get at a dentist.
Visiting your dentist at least twice yearly for regular cleanings (or as directed) gives them an opportunity to check the progress of your bite and the cleanliness of your teeth. This can also help you catch any teeth staining issues before they progress.
3. Invisalign users, follow directions!
Remove aligners to eat and drink, and rinse your mouth (or brush your teeth!) before reinserting aligners.
Clean your aligners as directed to remove bacteria that can potentially harm (or stain) teeth.
4. Avoid problematic food and drink
In this case, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. Avoiding the food and drink most likely to stain your teeth during your orthodontic treatment is the best way to prevent braces stains.
If you can’t go without your morning cup of joe or soda, (carefully!) sip it through a straw. When eating staining foods like blueberry pie, rinse your mouth carefully afterwards. Avoiding acidic foods like lemon and other citrus can also help prevent stains from braces.
5. Avoid whitening toothpastes and rinses during braces
While this may seem counterintuitive, think about it.
You use a whitening toothpaste that only whitens the tooth not covered by a metal bracket. Imagine having your brackets removed and seeing small, yellow squares where they used to be. Whitening toothpaste only whitens what it can reach.
6. After braces, whiten at home
If your teeth have some stains from braces once the metal is off, ask your dentist about at-home whitening toothpastes and rinses.
Any stains may be mild enough to be gently removed with toothpaste, rinses, and even some types of whitening strips.
7. Give professional tooth whitening a go
As with a professional dental cleaning, nothing compares to professional tooth whitening to whiten stained teeth from braces. Your dentist uses a bleaching solution in several different ways.
- Professional bleaching: This is the most common professional whitening treatment. A bleaching solution (liquid or gel) is placed in customized trays and held in the mouth for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Laser whitening: Laser whitening uses a bleaching solution activated by a laser. This treatment is great for deeper stains on teeth.
- Deep bleaching: For long-term maintenance and severe staining, deep bleaching uses a combination of in-office and at-home treatments. The first treatment happens in office, and then regularly (as directed) at home.
If teeth are stained by braces beyond professional whitening, you still have options in cosmetic veneers or crowns. For most patients, taking good care of teeth while they are in braces and having regular check-ups is enough to prevent stained teeth from braces.
AZ Dentist is your Phoenix area orthodontist. We want to help you find (and keep!) your most beautiful smile. If you are looking for braces in the Phoenix area, give us a call today!
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