What does this mean?
Coffee, tea and smoking stain the pores of the enamel from outside. Those marks are superficial, feel hard to the touch and come off with a professional cleaning.
Discolouration from decay behaves differently: the surface is rough or soft, catches a probe and usually starts between the teeth or in the grooves of the chewing surface. What shows on an X-ray is often larger than what the eye sees.
When the mark comes from decay, catching it early means far less treatment; at the white-spot stage it can be halted without anything being drilled.
Likely causes
What helps at home?
- Use fluoride toothpaste and do not rinse with water after brushing
- Reduce how often you have sugar and acid; frequency matters more than amount
- Clean between the teeth daily; most cavities start there
- Pain or hot and cold sensitivity alongside the mark
- A cavity or roughness you can feel on the surface
- Discolouration near the gum that darkens quickly
- Food trapping repeatedly in that area
Frequently asked questions
- Will whitening remove the mark?
- It lightens surface staining. It has no effect on discolouration from decay, and can even delay it being noticed.
- It doesn't hurt; can it wait?
- Pain is a late sign that decay has neared the nerve. Decay treated before it hurts always closes with a smaller procedure.
This content is for general information and does not replace an in-person examination. Symptoms overlap between conditions, and a diagnosis can only be made clinically.