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Causes of extrinsic staining after a tooth has already fully formed:
- Food and drink containing caffeine especially black tea/coffee, or tannins such as in wine.
- Nicotine and tar in cigarette smoking and tobacco chewing. This is the most difficult extrinsic staining to remove during a scale and clean.
- Chromogenic bacteria. Some patients, particularly children, have certain populations of natural healthy bacteria in the mouth which help protect against decay however they tend to attach pigments in foods to the surface of the tooth. It often appears as a dark black line across all teeth despite good oral hygiene and can reoccur quickly after a professional clean.
Extrinsic staining can be minimised by lifestyle measures to reduce exposure to the causative agent and by having regular scale and cleans with prophylaxis paste at the dentist. If appropriate we can also assess for more extensive options including bleaching.
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479 Marrickville Road
