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Intrinsic Stains


Shining teeth can do wonders for your self-confidence. But if your teeth are discolored due to internal factors, getting them examined may also be crucial to your health. We provide a wide range of dental services at Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, so no matter what is causing your tooth discoloration, we can help.


Extrinsic stains are those caused by something such as smoke or dark liquid affecting the outer layer of your teeth. Intrinsic stains are those affecting the pulp or dentin. Some intrinsic stains are benign. Teeth may look brown if a person was exposed to large amounts of fluoride in their youth, or they may look black if they were exposed to certain antibiotics. But if an intrinsic stain develops later in life, it almost certainly means the patient has a pulp infection. Inflammation in the pulp chamber will cause a tooth to look black, purple, or red. It will often be accompanied by sensitivity and a bad taste.


If a pulp infection is not treated, it may develop into a periapical abscess. This could eventually lead to sepsis unless the pulp chamber is drained via root canal therapy. Once the infected material is removed, we can fill the chamber with whitening solution. Another option is to cover the discolored tooth with a veneer, but this would happen once the tooth is healthy again.


Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas operate Healthy Smiles Family Dental at 2601 25th St SE #400, Salem, Oregon, 97302. Visit MyFamilyDentistSalem.com or call 503-689-8936

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