Hello doctor, I am 54 years old and I have never taken good care of my teeth until a couple of months when I started noticing a very rapid erosion of enamel on my front teeth near the gum line. This area was becoming very thin on a couple of teeth and turning brown and no amount of brushing, cleaning, etc., was making the brown go away. So I went to a dentist for the first time in about 46 years and had a deep cleaning done and a brief consultation. The cleaning got rid of the brown stains but then the brown stains returned within a week on the same thinning areas next to the gum line. I keep brushing and trying different things (a whitener, baking soda, peroxide, a mineralizing toothpaste, avoiding food and drink that causes staining, brushing right after eating) but the staining just continues to get worse and is now happening on all of my front teeth (near the gum line). It has been about three weeks since the deep cleaning and in a couple more weeks I have an appointment with a different dentist who is going to clean them again and hopefully give me some advice on what I can do about this including dental bonding perhaps. My question is, what can I do to get rid of these brown stains and keep them away. Are they just going to keep coming back and getting worse no matter what? Did the deep cleaning somehow cause this to be worse? It seems like it did. Can dental bonding cover these stains and stop them from getting bigger? I have changed my diet also in order to promote healthier teeth. Eating more nutrient foods with more Vitamin D, Magnesium, Vitamin K2, making sure I get enough calcium, using Celtic sea salt instead of regular salt, anything that is known to help promote better teeth and gums. Please, any advice you can give me would be very appreciated.
Hi. Just checked your given picture and thanks for detailed history (attachment removed to protect patient identity). These brown marks are because of smoking. You have not left me with anything to suggest you as you have already done with home remedies, peroxides, care, etc. Now, if you do not want these brown lines to come back you have to quit smoking for it. Correct your brushing technique. You have to brush your teeth with light hand pressure because I can see at some points you do brushing vigorously that caused enamel to wear off. I would say it is erosion and abrasion at gumlines, where you put a slightly more pressure to get rid of brown lines. You immediately need to stop this. Stop getting angry. Do not be surprised, as your teeth say so. I guess either you are introvert, do not express your feelings or pour out your anger on others and keep grinding your teeth instead or you are a person who takes stress too much. Is it so? Do let me know about it. I can say you are suffering from a condition called bruxism, that is, clenching of jaws or habit of grinding your teeth consciously or unconsciously at night. For it, you definitely need a night guard so your teeth might not get minor fractures or uneven occlusal surfaces can be arrested right away. This is just an additional finding I diagnosed by seeing your ground teeth. Regarding your presenting complaint, yes bonding will definitely work in arresting these gumline abrasions you made yourself by brushing harshly and smoking brown stains will also be limited by it. Rest, for getting permanently rid of it you need to leave your beer and smoke which are definitely injurious to your health. Do give me followup after next visit and after breaking down your habits.