Aesthetic Dentistry
What causes tooth discolouration?
The following are some common causes of tooth discolouration:
- Food & beverages (e.g. tea, coffee, red wine)
- Smoking
- Ageing
- Medications (e.g. tetracyclines)
- Fluorosis (caused by excessive fluoride ingested during tooth development)
- Dental decay
- Dental trauma
- Post-root canal treatment
- Dental conditions (e.g. amelogenesis imperfecta)
What are the options for treating tooth discolouration?
From the most conservative option to the most aggressive:
- Bleaching (Tooth Whitening)
- Microabrasion
- Composite
- Porcelain veneers
- Crowns
While very conservative, microabrasion is only useful to remove surface stains and discolouration (e.g., mild fluorosis).Tooth bleaching (Tooth Whitening) is far more effective when discolouration extends deeper into the tooth and still remains a very conservative option for treating tooth discolouration.
At times, tooth bleaching (Tooth Whitening) may not be sufficient in fully addressing severe or peculiar types of tooth discolouration. In such cases, composite veneers, porcelain veneers or crowns may be considered to restore your teeth to their desired colour, size, and shape. Where teeth are also misaligned, it is sometimes recommended for the patient to consider orthodontic correction (braces) to fully maximise the aesthetic end-results.
