What Are Green Teeth and What Causes Them?

Healthy white teeth are important for many reasons, which is why teeth whitening is so popular, especially in younger adults. After all, even with the best oral hygiene routine, different dental issues can come up. One of them is green teeth. If you notice a green stain on teeth, enter this website and find out what you can do to get a beautiful smile and your confidence back.

In this article, we’ll cover the common causes of green teeth and green gums, what it means, and lastly, the possible treatment options.

What Causes Discoloration and Green Teeth

A number of things can cause tooth discoloration, and it can happen on both permanent and baby teeth, but more commonly in the former. Before we jump into the most common causes, we should go over the types of teeth stains people can encounter.

Types of Staining

The first type is intrinsic staining. This type of discoloration isn’t very common in adults, given that the discoloration occurs in the tooth’s deep inner layers. Children experience this type of staining much more often, especially while their teeth are still developing. Green stains on teeth occur mostly due to the lack of nutrients and an unhealthy diet.

The second type of staining is extrinsic staining. This type of staining occurs on the outer layer of the teeth, making it much more visible than intrinsic staining. In some cases, it even looks like people have green stuff on teeth after a meal.

The Causes

The first and most common cause of green teeth in infants is Jaundice. That is fairly common in infants when the bilirubin counts are up. This disease is associated with yellow eyes and skin. In children where Jaundice lasts for more than two weeks, the possibility of having green teeth is higher than usual. The good thing is that this affects only the primary teeth.

Medication is another common cause of a green stain on our teeth. Certain antibiotics lead to discoloration, and they can affect both primary and secondary teeth. 

Some medical conditions can also lead to green teeth and green gums. Sepsis, for example, is one of the most common infections that can lead to green teeth due to the nature of the illness itself. That is why it’s of the utmost importance to visit your dentist as soon as you notice a green stain on your teeth because a potentially serious medical condition might be causing this.

All these causes are common for children. However, there are a few common causes that lead to a green stain on teeth in adults. These causes include:

• Improper oral hygiene
• Chromogenic bacteria
• Chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes
• Dark foods
• Too colored drinks such as wine, coffee, and even tea

How to Prevent Green Teeth?

To prevent green stains on teeth from appearing, the first and foremost thing you should do is to keep oral hygiene at the highest level. That means brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, and using high-quality toothpaste. These dentists in San Antonio TX also highly recommend visiting a dental expert at least twice a year. If you enjoy the occasional glass of wine or any other type of food or beverage that can lead to tooth discoloration, make sure you thoroughly brush your teeth after. Also, replacing your toothbrush after three months will prevent bacteria buildup, which can also lead to green teeth and many other dental issues.

The only other thing you can do to prevent green teeth is to change your habits. As we mentioned, chewing tobacco and eating dark-colored food or drinks can lead to teeth discoloration. You don’t need to completely stop eating or drinking these beverages; however, reducing the number of times you take them will reduce the possibility of getting green stuff on your teeth.

How to Treat Green Teeth

Keep in mind that teeth whitening won’t help with green teeth if the discoloration started under the enamel. If the cause is located on the surface of the teeth, teeth whitening may help to a certain extent. 

When it comes to green teeth and a green spot on gums in children, no treatment is recommended because the first teeth will fall out eventually. Possible treatment options can cause unnecessary irritation to sensitive teeth and gums.

When treating green teeth issues in adults, there are a few options available, but which one will be the best depends on the underlying cause. Intrinsic stains in adults can be and are treated, but there’s still no treatment that will completely eliminate the discoloration. Professional teeth whitening is one of the possibilities. However, this will only reduce the color intensity of the affected teeth. 

The second option when it comes to treating intrinsic stains includes getting veneers. Although it’s not a treatment as such, it will make your teeth white again and will prevent future intrinsic stains from happening. 

Extrinsic stains are a bit easier to treat, and there are a few options to consider. The first treatment that your dentist will recommend is called scaling and polishing. The procedure is done in-office by an experienced dentist. It includes using a special tool for removing plaque and tartar from the tooth’s enamel. In many cases, this procedure will remove most, if not all, of the green stuff you might have on your teeth. In either case, it’s the first thing that your dentist will recommend.

If the staining isn’t that bad, you might resolve the issue with teeth whitening. You can do this at home with whitening strips and whitening toothpaste, or you can choose to get professional tooth whitening.

Conclusion

Having any type of discoloration on your teeth, especially a noticeable one such as green teeth, can significantly affect your confidence and also how other people see you. Although treatment isn’t always simple, it’s really important to visit your dentist as soon as you notice the first green stain. The quicker you react, the bigger the chances of successfully removing the stains will be. Another reason why green teeth should be checked right away is in case an underlying illness is causing it.