Brown, discolored, or black stains on teeth is a common dental issue. It is easy to prevent such stains on teeth by following proper dental hygiene and regular visits to the dentists.
Presented below are the different causes of black stains on teeth and medical treatments and home remedies for it.
Causes of black stains on teeth
Discoloration or black stains on teeth can occur due to intrinsic/internal or external/extrinsic causes.
External causes of black stains on teeth are as follows:
- Tobacco chewing and/or smoking: Black stains on teeth can occur due to smoking and oral use of different tobacco products. Along with staining, smokers/users may also experience symptoms like teeth attrition and burning sensation in mouth, etc.
- Caffeine: Different products that have caffeine content can cause black stains on teeth. Tea and coffee have high caffeine levels. External coffee stains appear on the plaque present on tooth surface due to intake of coffee. Drinking lots of coffee/tea for a long period of time can result stains on teeth that are more problematic to get rid of.
- Other causes: Black stains on teeth can occur due to use of mouthwashes with potassium permanganate or silver nitrate.
- It can occur as part of occupational hazard due to excessive exposure to industrial manganese, iron, and/or silver.
- Metallic compounds in prescription liquid iron supplements react with plaque on tooth surface and cause staining. It is especially evident if the supplement is used in excess.
Intrinsic causes of black stains on teeth are as follows:
- Fluorosis: This condition is caused due to intake of water with high levels of fluoride and is marked by black stains on teeth. The fluoride content such drinking water is over 1 PPM/part-per-million; it is what triggers teeth stains and flaking. It is important to lower the levels of fluoride in water else the teeth begin mottling, brown stains form, and the general tooth structure progressively degenerates.
- Tooth decay and caries: One of the most common causes of black stains on teeth is tooth decay or dental caries. The condition is marked by damage to the structure of the teeth as well as enamel. The first symptom of tooth decay and cavity formation is discolored tooth surface. Such discoloration is due to the production of hydrogen sulfide by chromogenic bacteria which are responsible for development of caries. Reaction of saliva with hydrogen sulfide is what causes black spots on teeth.
- Dental restoration work: Amalgam teeth restoration marked by leakage of associated corrosive products can cause black stains on teeth, particularly near or around the gingival borders. A black/grey stain forms near the silver filling due to leakage of the corrosive products.
- Medication side effects: Use of certain medications like tetracycline, etc., can cause black stains on teeth as a side effect.
- Inherited conditions: Rare hereditary dental conditions like amelogenesis imperfect and dentinogenesis imperfect are marked malformed dentin or enamel and weak structure of teeth. This is evident from birth. Fragile teeth structure makes it vulnerable to staining and flaking.
- Other causes: Black spots on teeth may be an outcome of root canal treatment. Tooth decay can sometimes occur due to severe tooth trauma or a chipped tooth. Doctors do not diagnose such cases to be a cause of abnormal black spots on teeth.
Treatment of black stains on teeth
Black stains on teeth can be treated in a variety of different ways such as ultrasonic scaling; bleaching; root canal or removing and filling dental caries; and reducing the intake of caffeine, etc. Hereditary causes of tooth stains and fluorosis have a prolonged and detailed treatment plan, which differs from patient to patient.
A few procedures that can help treat black stains on teeth are discussed below:
- Porcelain dental veneers: In this procedure, dentists cover the chipped, crooked, or stained tooth with porcelain veneers. A single visit to the dentist and the use of veneers can make the teeth perfectly straight and white. A complete set is needed if patients want a full makeover; else just a few can help solve the teeth problems. Veneers are very resistant to staining but patients have to take care of them and avoid drinks or foods that cause black stains on teeth.
- Micro-abrasion: In this procedure, the stains on the surface of teeth are polished with a combination of hydrochloric acid and pumice. It must be used with caution as the method involves removal of a very thin layer of enamel of teeth.
Some home remedies to get rid of black stains on teeth are listed below:
- Make a paste of 1 part baking soda and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and apply on teeth. Rinse after a minute. Use the paste 2 to 3 times per week to get rid of stains.
- Make a paste of 3 strawberries, ½ tsp baking soda, and bit if sea salt and apply on teeth. Rinse after 5 minutes.
- Apply whitening strips with peroxide gel on the upper and lower teeth to get rid of black stains on teeth. Do not use strips with chlorine dioxide. You also opt for a whitening toothpaste or mouth rinse for treating minor stains.
