Smoke and Mirrors

Despite the mountain of evidence proving how unhealthy it is, millions of people continue to use tobacco. Whatever the reason for its continued use, cigarette smoke and chewing tobacco are deadly carcinogens which contribute not only to tooth discoloration, but to tooth decay and loss.

Cigarette (and cigar) smoke contains tar. This tar isn’t the same stuff that holds the roof of your house together, but it’s not much better for you! Tar is not only darkly colored, but it passes directly over and through a smoker’s teeth. Over time, smoking will turn a smoker’s teeth brown, while chewing or dipping tobacco will discolor teeth even faster because the tobacco chromogens are kept in contact with tooth enamel for even longer.

While obviously there are bigger health concerns associated with smoking than tooth discoloration, there’s no denying that yellow teeth go hand-in-hand with smoking. The moral is, one of the best things you can do for your teeth (and your health overall) is to quit using tobacco products immediately!{relatedarticles}

An Ounce of Discoloration Prevention

Once your teeth are stained, there’s no reason you have to keep them that way. Whitening treatments range from the super simple to the nearly surgical. Throw in a little prevention and you can have gleaming white teeth to last a lifetime.