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Conditions

Teeth Discolouration

Stained teeth

Teeth can become discoloured for a number of reasons, and often the effect is temporary and can be attributed to food or drink, such as coffee, red wine or beetroot. Smoking also causes teeth staining, resulting in a nicotine smile that won’t see you dazzling anybody with your pearly whites. In addition, however, there are several diseases that can affect the tooth enamel and underlying dentin. If a nerve dies within a tooth, the tooth will darken as the nerve sheds material into the dentin. The tooth can be capped to cover the discolouration, or a bleaching solution can be utilised to whiten it. A number of other conditions can contribute to wider tooth discolouration, such as certain antibiotics and chemotherapy.

If you would like to know more about looking after your child’s teeth, then read our guide especially for parents on the Embarrassing Bodies: Kids website.

Comments and Questions

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

my boyfriend is 21 and has very yellow teeth with a brown colour near the gums. He's diabetic and wont go for his check ups-should I push him to have them looked at?





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I'm a now 28 year old male who has a completely ruined set of teeth beyond horrible, they have gotten worse over the years, they began to discolour from a very early age when I was 11 or so and to embarresed to smile at school as other kids just made fun of me, this effected my confidence to go and see a dentist or even talk to my Mum about it and is something I have let continue and get worse ever since. This has also effected my social life, ability to progress further in any jobs that I do and has ultimately stopped me from me somebody. I've done phone work most of my life because I can be my naturally confident self over the phone but because I've let this go on so long its impossible for me to afford the treatment I require, I kind of blame my mum for not sorting this out when I was alot younger (I dont think I realised what result of constant neglect would be at such at young age and the though of sorting it just got harder as time went on), moral of the story to anyone reading is look after your teeth, I can only imagine and dream about what I know I could achieve and just how life changing being able to simply smile in public would be - and most of you reading this can do just that.





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i can smell a weird smell like exhaust fumes . not all the time and in different places . it can be in bed , at work , anywhere





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I have an excessive craving for sweets and chocolate





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I lost one of my teeth, not the front ones but one of the teeth next to the front, I had a tooth cemented in but this wouldnt stay put, the dentist has told me I cant have a bridge or anything as the tooth next to it is too loose,my teeth are spreading due to the gap, I now have a wide gap between my front teeth which I never had before, its getting worse all the time and I feel so concious of my teeth, I have just qualified as a hairdresser at the age of 40 and feel my teeth are holding me back as i struggle to socialise.





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over 12 yrs ago i lost my front tooth...had a plastic insted since then most of my teeth have started rooten an falling out slowly an pain an sensitive teeth..its harder now than were i lived b4 to get a dentist an im scared of loosen my teeth an in only 31 wat can i do please help





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I am 17 when I was 14 I had eating disorder and now my two front teeth are very discoloured and I think their dead cause they are going black I Dont no what to do I cant go out am to ashamed and I think am depreasted because I am having sucidle thorghts when I do go out am terfide of someone seeing my teeth I was at a family members party and one of the kids there shouted out that my teeth where black I just laugh it of then but when I got home I just cryed myself to sleep PLEASE HELP ME gain my confidence back.

i am 24 and am currently pregnant with y 3rd child whilst pregnant with my first i got gingivitis and my teeth started to rot. i didnt suffer in my second pregnancy but i did have the brown outline around my teeth filled and now i am pregnant again it has got worse all my teeth have the brown outline and a few of my teeth have actually crumbled and majority of them are painfull to the point where i cannot sleep and also all my teeth are almost a orange colour i always have people comment on how i should smile more but im too embarassed by the state of my teeth and people close to me are always commenting on how disgusting they are can you help me find the cause and possible a cure for me?





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i know how you feel i have 2 children and in both my pregnancy i had gingivitis and now after having my daughter 5 months ago i have had all my back teeth taken out and my front once are heading that way too i just hope they can save them

I had a crown removed and to get all the root out the dentist has left a deep gorge in my top gum I have a metal bridge but when I chew my food the tooth on the bridge meant to fit this gorge goes up into this and pulls the bridge off the back teeth that it is attached to. I can't chew my food because of this. I watched the episode on 09.04.10 were Lyn had inplants done could this work for me and how much would it cost.





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I have a plate as I could not use the metal bridge I would love to have implants but I am not sure how much this would cost I do smoke and this is part of my problem and would love to give up, it does stop me from smileing alot due to the teeth been stained and i am embarassed bout them. Help

My mum is going to a dentist in brighton how specialisies in bones inplants for her three missing teeth lower left side, its costing around £3k for all of the three I think... not sure who they are but reply if interested as mum going to appointment in the next couple of days.

i have six teeth i need help im 34





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hello just watched embarrassing bodies to night 9, 4 2010, and saw lyn story.atbout he teeth, iam suffering with acid reflux from the stomach , and the acid has worn away my bottom teeth ,iam ment to be having that out at the end of the month , and not comming to turms very well, they said dentachers , im not sure inplants sound better , will i be able to have than , can you please help , regards debra

hi i have discoloured teeth too...i hate the dentists as i have had bad experiences so i have not visited one since i was 16. when pregnant two of my lower teeth chipped away and im left with two missing...i just want to smile and be proud of it, this has left my confidence very low and i do not smile...is there any way i can do something about this? i need a quick solution fast! please help!





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please help, I have constant toothache in all of my teeth. DENTIST keeps saying that they can't help me because they can't find anything wrong with my teeth. I am always in pain doesn't matter if I eat or drink the pain is always there, the pain will start in one tooth and travel to the tooth next to it and so on, but not only that the pain will move to the oposite side of the mouth and continue with the pain throughout the mouth. PLEASE can someone help me i can't go on, to be honest i've had dreams about pulling my own teeth out, and when i wake up i whish i had have done it because i carnt cope with the pain no more i dont no what to do can some one please help me. IM ASKING PLEASE IF THERE IS SOME ONE OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP ME PLEASE REPLY BACK ASAP I NEED YOUR HELP.

Karen you replied to lauren's email so I can't reply to you. the pain sound like routine canal nervous problem which I had at 28... you need to see a non-nhs dentist for guidance





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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