If your smile has stains, you may think the issue stems from your hygiene. It’s certainly possible – whether and how you clean your grin can affect your enamel’s brightness. With that said, you should also consider biology as a factor; people can inherit stained teeth from their families. Your Frisco dentist will even prove this claim, citing the relevant facts and details. Just keep reading to learn how genes can stain teeth and what cosmetic dentistry could do to help you.
How Can Genes Stain Teeth?
Most people only see hair color, height, or bone structure as their “heritable” traits. However, those qualities aren’t the only ones you can inherit; even stained teeth can stem from your genes.
For starters, some genetic disorders are known to discolor smiles. An example would be dentinogenesis imperfecta – an inherited issue that makes tooth enamel turn grayish. Another notable condition is amelogenesis imperfecta, which results in the person’s teeth becoming soft and yellow in appearance.
Genes can also affect a smile’s shade without causing a disorder. For instance, some people may have thicker and whiter teeth that are inherited from their families. Other folks can also get transparent enamel – the kind that reveals your yellowy dentin – from their parents’ genetics. While these oral effects don’t amount to disorders, they still have roots in one’s inherited biology.
What Can Cosmetic Dentistry Do to Help?
Thankfully enough, cosmetic dentistry can treat inherited tooth stains. All it’d need to do is perform one (or more) of the following services:
Teeth Whitening
Even if biology darkens your smile, professional teeth whitening can help brighten it. Its bleaching gel has the power to erase dark stains from your enamel, leaving your grin much brighter. Given proper care, those results can even last for several years!
Composite Dental Bonding
Composite dental bonding could easily cover your smile’s inherited stains. By placing tooth-colored resin on your enamel, it’d hide the discolored areas along with your grin’s other minor flaws. The treatment’s effects would then blend seamlessly with the adjacent teeth.
Porcelain Veneers
When genetic tooth stains prove stubborn, consider turning to porcelain veneers. These thin shells would cover up the discoloration (along with chips, cracks, etc.) once placed on your smile. From there, they’d ensure your entire grin looks white, bright, and natural!
Whether you inherit stained teeth or not, it’s possible to get a bright smile. Just see your dental provider for the appropriate care!
About the Practice
Frisco Dental Care is based in Frisco, TX. Led by Dr. Gary C. Phillips, our practice has been providing patients with truly dreamy smiles for over 30 years. We’ve always offered tailored preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry during that time, and continue to do so now. That means you can trust us to make your grin better than ever! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (972)-712-0500.