Tooth Discoloration, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

Teeth discoloration is seen as teeth that have stained yellow or darker and presents as a blemish on the facial appearance of a person.
It can affect self esteem.
Causes:
Discoloration can be caused by:
A. External factors stain the outer layer of the tooth and include
1. Smoking,
2. Beverages such as coffee, wine, cola
3. Foods such as apples and potatoes.
B. Internal factors affect the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) causing it to darken or become yellowish through:
1. Excessive exposure to fluoride during early childhood
2. Tetracycline antibiotics use during the second half of pregnancy and children 8 years old or younger.
3. Tooth injury in a child with damage to the developing permanent tooth.
4. Systemic illness during tooth formation such as hemolytic disease of the newborn
5. Ageing discoloration - the dentin turns yellow naturally with aging making the teeth look discolored.
6. Infection (dental caries) results in grayish discoloration.
7. Dentinogenesis imperfecta
Rare condition in which children are born with gray, amber or purple discolorations in the teeth
8. Amelogenesis imperfecta
Genetic condition in which enamel formed during tooth development is abnormal and causes discoloration of teeth.
Symptoms are:
1. Stains on the enamel such as yellow or brown spots.
2. Yellow stains on the teeth from dentin showing through the worn away enamel.
Diagnosis
A dental examination can diagnose tooth discoloration and some causes (e.g., gingivitis).
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause of the discoloration and may include.
1. Tooth hygiene -proper tooth brushing and flossing techniques
2. Avoid foods and beverages that can cause stains
3. Micro-abrasion of the stains on the outer surface of teeth
4. Bonding -tooth can be covered with a color-matched composite bonding material
5. Veneers are color-matched thin ceramic shells that cover the outer surfaces of the teeth.
6. Applying a bleaching agent to the enamel of the teeth.
a. Vital bleaching over-the-counter whitening agents or in-office whitening procedures
b. Non-vital bleaching
7. Intrinsic stains that are caused by damage to a nerve or blood vessel in a tooth sometimes can be prevented such as removing the inner part of the tooth (the pulp) followed by non-vital bleaching.
Tooth Whitening Methods:
Vital bleaching
Bleaching of vital teeth is suggested mainly for patients with generalized yellow, orange, or light brown extrinsic discoloration (such as chlorhexidine staining), even though it may be useful in reducing mild cases of tetracycline-induced intrinsic discoloration and fluorosis.
Presently, the bleaching chemicals most often used are carbamide and hydrogen peroxide.
When applied in higher concentrations, the chemicals produce more considerable bleaching than they do without these measures
Non-vital bleaching
Non-vital bleaching is suggested for the treatment of teeth with discoloration due to pulpal degeneration.
This method requires placing a mixture of 30% hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate into the pulp chamber for as long as 1 week.
For non-vital bleaching, a tooth with an un-restored crown is ideal.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Tooth Discoloration
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Diagnosis
Chapter 4 Treatment
Chapter 5 Best Tooth Whitening Methods
Chapter 6 Home Tooth Whitening
Chapter 7 Dental Decay
Chapter 8 Gingivitis
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940154608739
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	189 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 65. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical conditions seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com. This autobiolographical account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 550 amazon kindle books and some into Smashwords.com eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical conditions. The first chapter of all my ebooks is always taken from my blog A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions which was started in 2007 as a simple educational help to my patients on my first blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. The medical condition was described simply and direct to the point. Because the simple guide as taken from the blog was described as too simple, I have increased the other chapters to include more detailed description of the illness, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As a result there are the complaints by some readers of constant repetitions of the same contents but in detail and fairly up to date. He has published 550 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health conditions and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Bouna Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. All the PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"