Dear Doctor,

I have been living with a set of yellow teeth since I was a kid and now I have decided to use all sorts of whitening toothpastes. I wanted to ask if they pose any dental health risks for me.

Aliyah

Dear Aliyah,

Discoloration of teeth can be due to number of causes. Poor dental hygiene is the most common cause. That includes not brushing after eating something which leaves plaques of food. The risk is more with sugar containing foods. Medicines like tetracycline, doxycycline if taken during pregnancy can cause discolored teeth in the baby. Used in children it leads to permanent discoloration of teeth. Certain other therapies like chemotherapy for cancer can cause discoloration of teeth as adverse effect. Excess consmption of tea, coffee, sodas also causes tooth discoloration.

Prevention consists of maintaining good dental hygiene. Fluoride containing toothpastes are useful. One should rinse the mouth adequately or brush teeth after eating. Flossing at least once or twice a week is useful. Avoid excess of tea, coffee and sodas which cause staining of teeth. Use of straws for drinking sodas is a good practice, as the product bypasses the mouth, thus preventing contact with teeth. Excess of chocolates is also harmful and one should clean the mouth thoroughly after eating them.

Treatment consists of whitening procedures either done in the office of the dentist or at home. These include use of bleaching products like carbamide to whiten the teeth. If no other risk factor is present, whitening procedure done once can last upto one year. If risk factors causing teeth discoloration persist, there may be relapse, even after a month.

The whitening procedure can cause some increased sensitivity of the tissues of the mouth, i.e. of gums and palate. If done under poor hygienic conditions, there is risk of infection. Beyond that, there is no risk involved. It does not damage the teeth or the enamel or any part around. If one is using dental crowns and bonds, from before, their color may not match with the whitened teeth, needing a change.

Dr Rachna Pande  is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital