What are Tartar and Coffee Stains?

Proper oral hygiene, including brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day, keeps your teeth healthy and attractive. However, some people develop dental problems such as tartar, a hardened form of tooth plaque, or stained or discolored teeth. Identifying dental problems early and getting treatment helps prevent more serious conditions, such as gum disease.

Tartar Basics

• Your teeth constantly form plaque, a sticky, filmy layer of bacterial growth. Brushing and flossing removes plaque, which if left on your teeth can cause cavities. If you don't remove plaque quickly or thoroughly enough, it then turns into tartar, a hardened yellowish mass that you can't get rid of by brushing and flossing and that can eventually cause gum disease. Some people develop tartar more quickly than others. A trip to your dentist is the only way you can remove tartar once it has developed on your teeth. Visiting your dentist regularly also helps avoid plaque buildup, cavities and other dental problems.

Preventing Tartar

• Prevent tartar by brushing at least twice a day, flossing once a day and avoiding sugary drinks and snacks, especially between meals. Visit your dentist every six months for a cleaning and check-up. Using a tartar-control toothpaste may also help prevent tartar, but it won't eliminate existing tartar. In addition, make sure you floss underneath your gum line and brush near your salivary glands, which are located outside your upper back teeth and inside your lower front teeth.

Coffee Stains

• Many people feel self-conscious about discolored teeth. If you have yellow or brown-stained teeth, your morning coffee may be the reason. Coffee contains dark compounds that are gradually absorbed by the enamel on your teeth, causing discoloration over time. Unlike tartar, teeth stained by coffee does not usually lead to more serious conditions. Also, drinking coffee without adding sugar can reduce plaque because several compounds in coffee may prevent bacteria from attaching to your teeth.

Preventing and Treating Tooth Discoloration

• Avoiding coffee and other drinks with dark compounds, such as wine, soda and tea, helps prevent tooth discoloration. If you can't switch to water, drink iced coffee through a straw or have a glass of water afterward to rinse your teeth. Tooth whitening products, such as whitening strips and in-office bleaching, can also bleach coffee-stained teeth to a whiter shade. However, tooth whitening products may cause temporary tooth sensitivity or gum irritation. Whitening toothpastes may remove surface stains, but they won't change the color of the tooth because coffee stains change the actual color of the enamel.