Chromogenic Bacteria stain on teeth

Hi

I have a stain on my teeth due to the presence of Chromogenic Bacteria and I have to go to the dentist monthly to remove it - it is very expensive. Could you suggest any alternative to getting this stain permanently removed? I believe the stain may be due to the interaction of iron with the bacteria - should my diet be changed to reduce I
iron intake?

I would love my old smile back!

Thank you.

Rose

Hi Rose. Sorry to hear about your teeth. I don't blame you for wanting your old smile back. Glad you are going to the dentist to take care of things. Your dentist should be able to give you some indication as to why this is happening and also what you can do to prevent it, in particular your diet. It would be good to eat things a little less in iron levels and see what happens, it wouldn't hurt and I have heard that it can help improve the discoloration of your teeth. Also, if you limit things like soda and caffeine drinks like coffee and tea (as they also cause discoloration). Keep us posted after your appointment too as I am curious to know how it goes. Good luck to you.

Chromogenic bacteria, most often Actinomyces species, are well known to cause stains on teeth. The bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide which reacts with iron in the saliva to form a bacterial plaque that is usually black or has black discoloration to it.

In my research of the topic I found numerous studies confirming the source and how the bacterial plaque is formed. However, I did not find one single article that attempted to find a cure or suggest a prevention method. I find that very odd and, for you I'm sure,very frustrating.

Unfortunately reducing your iron intake will have virtually no effect on the formation of the stains. The amount of iron in human saliva is very low to start with and you can't reduce it low enough without causing iron deficiency.

So, until some smart biologist/chemist/researcher comes up with an agent that can prevent hydrogen sulfide producing bacteria from forming plaque in the mouth, it is up to you to practice extremely vigilant dental hygiene. This means diligent brushing, flossing, and using anti-bacterial rinsed several times a day.

I, too, have this grey staining on the back-sides (mostly) of my front teeth - both top and bottom, though most heavily on the back sides of my bottom front teeth. I also have some staining on the fronts, too.

I learned that bacteria have a "magnetic sense" (read 'Cross Currents' and 'The Body Electric' by Dr. Robert O. Becker), and I attribute this staining to all the electromagnetic radiation in the environment today - cell phones, cordless phones, wi-fi, etc... My teeth didn't begin to discolor until the electromagnetic radiation in the environment started to affect the bacteria in my mouth. In fact, cell phones and cordless phones have been linked to tumors of the salivary glands - parotid glands. And I believe these exposures messed up the bacterial milleau of my mouth. You might want to look into this...