Decaffeinate Your Smile: Treating Coffee and Tea Stains

A bright, white smile is one of the most desirable characteristics a person could wish for. Over time, however, the natural luminescence of a person’s smile can become dulled by many factors, including exposure to staining agents. And there are few staining agents as unforgiving as coffee and tea.

Fortunately, professional teeth whitening can treat a variety of stains and restore teeth to their natural luster. At Dental Associates of New England, we feature the Zoom! 2® teeth whitening system, which allows patients to whiten their teeth by up to ten shades in approximately an hour. The good news for caffeine fanatics is that Zoom! 2® is particularly effective in treating coffee and tea stains! If you live in or near Boston, MA, you can visit our office during your lunch break and leave with a radiant smile that makes you look years younger and significantly healthier and happier.

If your teeth have been darkened by coffee and tea stains, we invite you to learn more about teeth whitening by scheduling a consultation with one of our experienced cosmetic dentists today.

Why Is Zoom! 2® So Effective In Treating Coffee and Tea Stains?

Coffee and tea stains belong in a class of stains known as extrinsic discoloration. As the name suggests, extrinsic stains are superficial in nature; they primarily affect the visible surface area of the tooth. This outermost layer, the protective enamel layer, can become stained over time, to the point that brushing, flossing, and rinsing will no longer effectively lighten stains. For many years, people either had to live with these extrinsic stains or have them covered up with veneers, crowns, or dental bonding.

With the advent of professional teeth whitening, however, it become possible to lighten coffee, tea, and other extrinsic stains dramatically and in some cases remove them altogether without having to cover them with dental restorations. For people whose teeth were otherwise healthy and strong, this presented a preferable method of whitening the teeth, as it required no alteration of the natural tooth structure. While porcelain veneers and dental crowns are outstanding cosmetic options, they do require removal of a small amount of tooth material prior to placement. And while dental bonding does not require such alteration of teeth, it also cannot precisely match the appearance of a person’s natural teeth that have been whitened.

The reason that the Zoom! 2® teeth whitening system is so effective in treating coffee and tea stains is that the proprietary hydrogen-peroxide-based whitening gel, when exposed to the special Zoom! Lamp, breaks down to penetrate the enamel and bleach even those stains that have set deep into the underlying dentin layer of the teeth. As a result, extrinsic stains such as those caused by coffee and tea are whitened not simply at the surface of the enamel, but beneath the surface as well. Results can last for five years or even longer, especially if patients are careful to avoid overconsumption of coffee, tea, and other stain-causing foods and beverages after their treatment.

Learn More about Treating Coffee and Tea Stains with Professional Teeth Whitening

To learn more about how we can treat your coffee and tea stains with Zoom! 2® professional teeth whitening, please contact Dental Associates of New England today.