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The white stains on teeth are a sign of tooth decay1. Having a chalky white tooth is a sign of good dental health. If you want your teeth white from the very beginning, it includes regular dental cleaning, brushing, and flossing daily. People do not do this regularly; that is why they have white stains later.
The shade of the spot-on white teeth is different from the rest of the teeth. As some people find the stains bothersome, it is also essential to identify the causes and treatment of the white stains on teeth.
White Stains on Teeth: Causes and Ways to Get Rid of Them
The white stains on teeth are definitely caused by more than one cause. You need to check to get some specific reasons for those and then examine the best treatments available for those causes.
Causes of White Stains on Teeth
1. Fluorosis
Fluoride prevents tooth oral decay and strengthens the teeth, but excess fluoride has opposite side effects. Too much fluoride causes discoloration and decay of the teeth, known as fluorosis2. This happens when we consume a large amount of fluoride toothpaste or fluoridated water or beverages. This also causes pitted enamel, which makes it hard to clean and brush teeth.
2. Diet
When you consume too much acidic food in your diet, it causes white stains on your teeth. This is because high acidic foods eat your tooth enamel. The outermost layer of teeth is the enamel that protects the teeth from damages. Also, a diet with excess sugar causes acidic plaque3, which may erode enamel.
Acidic drinks like soda, fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit should hence be avoided. Acid reflux is also another trigger as it produces acid in the throat, stomach, and mouth. When your tooth enamel breaks down, you experience various symptoms like sensitivity to hot food or cold drinks.
3. Sleeping with Mouth Open
When you wake up in the morning, you may notice white stains on your teeth which disappear a few hours later. This is caused by sleeping with the mouth open all night, and the dehydration of the enamel4 causes it.
When the saliva hits the teeth, it will disappear. Also, when you are suffering from a cold, you more often sleep with your mouth open.
4. Enamel Hypoplasia
This is a defect where you have less enamel. It may be caused by a nutritional deficiency that may cause a mineral loss in the teeth. In addition, it may cause celiac disease, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients as the immune system is weakened.
When you consume any antibiotics for high fever, it may also cause nutrient absorption. When you smoke while pregnant, it may also cause enamel hypoplasia5 to the children. It also has various symptoms, such as having lines or grooves in the teeth.
5. Plaque Accumulation
The bacteria plaque can also cause white stains on the teeth. Plaque accumulation may be caused by poor oral hygiene, such as flossing or not brushing regularly.
It may also be caused when you wear dental braces. The spots on your teeth when the braces are removed are caused by the build-up of the plaque deposit around or underneath the actual location of the brackets. When good oral health is not sufficient, or the ability to properly remove the plaque is not present between brackets, this may cause demineralization6. The teeth then appear chipped and rough.
6. Bacterial Overgrowth
It is weird to hear, but our mouths are the perfect place for a bacterium to survive. When there are many bacteria in our mouth, it causes white stains on teeth.
7. High Fevers and Medications
If you have suffered from a high fever or are taking medications like amoxicillin, your enamel may be weakened to allow white stains on your teeth. This is seen more often when a child’s teeth are still developing.
8. Low Calcium Diet
If you do not consume enough calcium, then white spots on your teeth can be expected because your enamel would not be strong enough. To get rid of this situation, eat enough calcium and a low acid diet. Foods that can help are nuts, such as almonds, cheese, and lots of greens.
If you are worried about the causes of white stains on teeth, the reasons mentioned above can be a few possibilities. You may consult an experienced dentist for further consultations regarding the cause and treatment of the white stains on your teeth.
Prevention of White Stains on Teeth
If you want to prevent the white stains on the teeth from the very beginning, you need to have excellent dental hygiene. This includes flossing and brushing regularly. If it is possible to brush your teeth after every meal, you should definitely, do it. You can also use an electric toothbrush so that the plaque build-up can be reduced.
The Waterpik can remove the plaque that accumulates between the teeth and around the brackets of the braces. Your dentist can also advise you on new toothpaste to remineralize the enamel and protect your teeth from white stains.
Consuming less acidic food and sugar can also protect your enamel and prevent you from white stains. Also, if you are worried about the unborn child’s enamels, then quit smoking when you are pregnant.
You should monitor your child while brushing so that there is no excess fluoride exposure. They should not have too much toothpaste but should use a pea-sized amount of paste.
Also, it would help if you prevent swallowing the toothpaste. Look after the quantity of fluoride your child intakes. Also, avoid the number of daily beverages consumed. Fluorides are found in fruit juices, soft drinks, and bottled water.
How to Get Rid of the White Stains on Teeth?
The white stains on teeth can bother people nowadays, but there are various treatments available now to remove this spot. Some of the treatments to remove the white stains on teeth are:
1. Microabrasion
It is a procedure that helps to remove a layer of enamel using the mid abrasion from the tooth’s surface. This helps to remove the white stains on teeth and improves the appearance of the teeth.
2. Veneers
Depending upon the frequency of the white stains on teeth, your doctor may suggest you conceal them with the porcelain veneer that is permanently attached to the teeth’ surface.
3. Bleaching
Bleaching is a process for tooth whitening that is strictly performed under the supervision of a doctor. This also helps to balance the color of the tooth’s enamel. In addition, this treatment lightens the entire tooth to match the color of the white stains on the teeth.
If the white stains on the teeth are caused by overusing fluoride, bleaching will not help remove that. However, this procedure can later bleach the white stains resulting in various shades of white.
4. Chin Straps
When you are asleep, wearing chin straps can help you to keep your mouth closed.
5. Nasal Decongestants
If a cold or any other infection makes you feel congested, you can take am nasal decongestant before going to bed. This will help you to keep your mouth closed while sleeping.
6. Lemon
Lemon contains citric acid, which may help you get rid of the white stain on your teeth. Make some lemon juice and add some salt to it. Rub it in your teeth for a few minutes, and then rinse it out with water. This procedure can help you remove the white stains on your teeth and help get rid of the bad breath and nourish your gums.
7. Avoid Acidic Foods
Consuming too much acidic food can lead to white stains on teeth. Also, drinking acidic soft drinks or consuming any acidic food can take away the enamel of your teeth.
The outer enamel helps protect the tooth, and if that is washed away, it may cause white stains on the teeth.
8. Vinegar
Vinegar is a type of liquid containing acidic properties that can help eliminate white stains on teeth. You need to mix vinegar with baking soda and make a thick paste. Then, brush your teeth using the paste.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric is used to remove white stains on teeth. Take some turmeric powder and mix some lemon juice and salt in it to create a paste. Wash your hands, then rub the paste onto your teeth for a few minutes. Then rinse it with water.
10. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent that helps to kill the bacteria in your mouth. Also, some people use hydrogen peroxide for several years to disinfect the wounds because it helps kill bacteria. Various whitening items have hydrogen peroxide, with a much higher concentration you use.
The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in drugs is 3%. You can dilute this concentration to 1.5% just by adding some equal parts of water and peroxide. You can mix hydrogen peroxide with some baking soda and use it as toothpaste.
Mix two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide with one tablespoon baking soda and brush your teeth with this. Do not overuse homemade paste, as it can also erode your enamel.
There are various ways to treat the white stains on teeth which are all safe. Some mechanical options like Enamel Microabrasion, or chemical options like teeth bleaching, or prosthetic attachment like Lumineers or veneers. They are all excellent ways to get rid of the white stains on teeth.
Proofreaded by:
Dr. Foram Bhuta
Dentist (B.D.S)
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- Aoba, T., and Ole Fejerskov. “Dental fluorosis: chemistry and biology.” Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine 13.2 (2002): 155-170. ↩︎
- Kamphuis, Willem, et al. “Glial fibrillary acidic protein isoform expression in plaque related astrogliosis in Alzheimer’s disease.” Neurobiology of aging 35.3 (2014): 492-510. ↩︎
- Hua, L. C., et al. “The dehydration effect on mechanical properties of tooth enamel.” Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 95 (2019): 210-214. ↩︎
- Nikiforuk, Gordon, and Donald Fraser. “The etiology of enamel hypoplasia: a unifying concept.” The Journal of pediatrics 98.6 (1981): 888-893. ↩︎
- Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali, et al. “Demineralization–remineralization dynamics in teeth and bone.” International journal of nanomedicine (2016): 4743-4763. ↩︎
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