Tackling Your Dental Treatment Plan

If you notice horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines on your teeth, then you are looking at craze lines. The dark or discolored appearance of these lines may be quite bothersome to you. If you want to know how these lines can be eliminated, keep reading.

What Can Your Dentist Do For Craze Lines?

If you are bothered by the obvious appearance of lines on the teeth, then your dentist can help you to make them less noticeable. You should know that the lines cannot be erased from the teeth completely, because they actually sit within the teeth. Specifically, the lines form in the dental enamel and are the result of bite stress. Since the lines are openings in the teeth, they gather debris and cause the teeth to appear yellow or brown. While the stains actually sit in the tooth enamel, they are considered extrinsic stains since they do not involve the tooth dentin. This is good news since extrinsic stains can be removed more easily than intrinsic stains that sit in the dentin.

Stains, like the ones that discolor your craze lines, can be released from the cracks with the assistance of carbamide peroxide. This material is the whitening agent that dentists use when performing in-office dental whitening. Carbamide peroxide gels are placed on the teeth and oxygen bubbles are created that break up stains and force them out of the craze lines. Under normal circumstances, you will see the lines disappearing after one or two whitening treatments. 

If craze lines do no lighten for some reason, then your dentist can offer dental bonding treatments where tooth-colored resin is directly adhered to the teeth. This essentially covers the lines and keeps the teeth looking white until the bonding wears off. Veneers can also be placed over the teeth to cover the lines.

What Can You Do To Reduce Craze Line Appearance?

Most dental professionals will start with tooth whitening to reduce the appearance of craze lines before more advanced techniques are utilized. If the whitening reduces the appearance of the lines, then you can keep the lines from appearing again or darkening. Brushing your teeth daily is best to keep craze line staining at bay. You can use a whitening toothpaste or a tartar control toothpastes. Whitening toothpastes actively remove stains while tartar control varieties help to keep yellow tartar from depositing in the tooth openings.

Also, make sure to stay away from foods and beverages that stain the teeth. Anything that would leave a stain on your carpet when spilled is likely to also leave your teeth discolored. If you do eat foods that can stain, then rinse your mouth out with water after eating them to keep debris from depositing in your tooth cracks. 

For more information, contact local professionals like Family 1st Dental.