Having stained teeth can prevent you from loving your smile. Discoloration can make your pearly whites look less healthy than they once did and can make it more difficult for you to enjoy taking photos with loved ones and meeting new people. Though things like coffee, tea, and other stain-causing foods and beverages can make your smile look yellow, what are the causes of gray teeth? To help you determine what could be causing this, read on to learn about five potential culprits as well as how your dentist can help you solve this issue.
#1: Antibiotics
Tetracycline is an antibiotic that is commonly used to fight infections, including plague, cholera, acne, brucellosis, malaria, and syphilis. According to the Journal of International Oral Health, fetuses who are exposed to it may experience discoloration in their adult teeth, resulting in horizontal stripes of either bluish-gray or yellowish-brown stains.
#2: Dentinogenesis Imperfecta
This rare disorder of tooth development is hereditary and can cause one’s primary and permanent teeth to give off a blue or gray hue. It can also make the teeth weaker than normal and more susceptible to damage.
#3: Aging
Some people have naturally thin enamel, but it can also begin to wear with age due to both natural and external causes, such as consuming too many sweet and acidic things, teeth grinding, and acid reflux. This can cause the dentin, which is the layer under the enamel, to make your smile look yellow or grayish-blue.
#4: Dental Restorations
If you have fillings or other restorations that contain metal, this can make your teeth turn a blue or grayish color. This is a more common issue with older restorations and can be corrected by replacing them.
#5: Dead Teeth
Teeth die due to several things, including trauma and decay. If one or a few teeth turn blue or gray, this may mean that they’ve died and need to be extracted or to receive root canal therapy. It may take several years for the discoloration to appear, which can make it difficult to pinpoint the cause.
3 Treatments for Gray Teeth
Though there are several things that can cause gray teeth, there are also a few different ways that your dentist can fix them using cosmetic and restorative treatments. A few procedures that they may recommend to brighten up your smile include:
- Tooth-colored dental crowns or fillings
- In-office or at-home teeth whitening
- Porcelain veneers
If you want to fix your gray teeth, contact your dentist to set up a consultation. They will be able to determine what caused your teeth to become discolored in the first place and can administer treatment if necessary to get your smile back on track!
About the Author
Are you interested in correcting gray or otherwise discolored teeth? The highly skilled team of Wakefield oral health professionals at Schumacher Dental can help. Led by Dr. Rob Schumacher, they offer porcelain veneers, restorative services, and teeth whitening to make your smile look healthier and more uniform. Soon, you’ll be sporting a gorgeous grin that you’ll want to show off to the world! Do you want to make an appointment with Schumacher Dental or are you interested in getting more information on their oral health services that can correct gray teeth? If so, visit their website or call (781) 334-3400.