Stains on the tooth surfaces can be caused by:
Dietary substances: tea, coffee, red wine, herbal medicines are common causes of brown tooth discolouration.
Tobacco: cigarette smoking, tobacco chewing or betel nut chewing (if tobacco is included) can deposit stains.
Chlorhexidine is a common antimicrobial compound added to mouth rinses used after dental surgery.
Stains can be kept under control using whitening toothpaste that contain abrasives to polish the surface of the tooth. Professional cleaning also uses abrasives to remove surface stains. Difficult-to-reach areas (in between the teeth, inside fissures) can be cleaned with a bicarbonate powder delivered by high-pressure water jet (Prophyjet).
Using a home whitening system (with bleaching trays and gels prescribed by your dentist) can help as well. Using bleaching trays ensures that the bleaching gel does not get deactivated by salivary peroxidase enzymes which reduces the whitening effect.
