A lot of the time, stained teeth stem from outside factors. A person’s smile may turn yellow (or brown) from meals, poor oral care, and habits like smoking. Still, it’s easy to wonder: can your genes cause tooth stains? If your grin always seems discolored, you might think the problem is due to your biology. Of course, your local Fort Worth dentist is happy to answer this question. Here’s a primer on how genes relate to tooth stains and why cosmetic dentistry would help.
Tooth Stains Can “Run in the Family”
At this point, you likely know that genes affect your physical traits. They can strongly influence your height, eye color, bone structure, etc. Well, these biological markers can also cause (or prevent) tooth stains.
On the one hand, your stained teeth could result from a genetic disorder. One such condition is dentinogenesis imperfecta – an issue that causes grayish enamel. Another example is amelogenesis imperfecta, which causes yellow-brown stains on your smile.
Alternatively, genes can affect staining in other ways as well. You may have thicker, whiter teeth that run in your family. The same goes for more transparent tooth enamel. These effects wouldn’t amount to a disorder, but they’d still find their roots in biology.
Why Would Cosmetic Dentistry Help?
Even when genes are at work, cosmetic dentists can treat stubborn tooth stains. Some of the best methods they have of doing so are:
Cosmetic Dental Bonding
With cosmetic dental bonding, smile flaws aren’t actually removed. Instead, your imperfect grin is hidden by tooth-colored resin. Once a dentist sets this material on your teeth, chips, cracks, and other such things get covered up.
Of course, this method also works on tooth stains. It’ll hide discoloration from view to help your pearly whites live up to their nickname.
Teeth Whitening
Store-bought whiteners don’t work on stubborn tooth stains. Luckily, teeth whitening from a qualified dentist is a different story.
Indeed, pro teeth whitening can remove your smile’s yellow tint. Its strong bleaching will remove nearly any stain on your enamel. That way, your grin will look six to eight shades whiter!
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin layers placed on the fronts of teeth. By covering up your smile flaws, they can hide things like tooth chips, cracks, misalignments, and more.
As expected, veneers would also cover up your grin’s discolored areas. They’re thus ideal for stains that seem irremovable. Once treatment is done, friends and family will just see gorgeous porcelain that blends seamlessly with your smile.
So, can genes cause tooth stains? Yes – but they won’t make a pretty smile impossible. Talk to your dental provider about how to brighten up your mouth.
About the Practice
Summer Creek Dentistry is based in Fort Worth, TX. Led by Dr. Jasmine King, our practice strives to give each patient the best possible smile. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental care. As you’d expect, our dental team is well-equipped to hide tooth stains and other smile flaws. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (817)-292-7488.