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My teeth seem to be stained brown. What can I do about it?
 First of all, your dentist will have to find out what sort of stains they are. If the stains are on the surface (extrinsic stains), they can be polished away. Stains on the tooth are most often caused by smoking (tobacco stains). Drinking large amounts of coffee or tea can also cause them.- Accumulated calculus, also known as tartar, can appear as brown areas near the gum margins. Calculus has to be removed by your dentist by scaling.
- If the stains are within the structure of the tooth (intrinsic stains), they cannot be brushed or polished away. They may need to be masked or covered by a layer of tooth-coloured material such as composite or porcelain.
- In some special cases, the tooth may be " bleached" to make it look whiter. Your dentist can advise you on this. Of course, if the intrinsic stain is minimal, you can choose to leave it alone.
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