Types of Teeth Stains: What Causes Yellow, Brown and Black Stains

If you’ve noticed a stain on your teeth, the first question is usually whether it will come off. Many surface stains can be reduced with a professional cleaning or whitening, while stains inside the tooth are harder to change, and a few kinds, like a single tooth turning darker or a small dark spot, are a reason to see a dentist rather than a cosmetic fix. Here’s how the types of stains differ, what each color is often linked to, and what usually helps.

Surface Stains vs. Deep Stains

Surface (extrinsic) stains sit on the enamel or in the thin film that coats it, while deep (intrinsic) stains are inside the tooth, in the enamel or the dentin beneath it.

Dentists usually group tooth discoloration as extrinsic, intrinsic, or a mix of both. Some dental reviews add a third group, internalized stain.

Type	Where it is	Often linked to
Extrinsic (surface)	On the enamel or its thin coating	Coffee, tea, red wine, cola, tobacco, plaque, black stain
Intrinsic (deep)	Inside the enamel or the dentin	Aging, injury, decay, fluorosis, certain antibiotics while teeth were forming, old metal fillings
Internalized	Surface stain that has worked its way into the tooth	Cracks or other defects in the tooth

Stains can also look worse where the enamel has defects. And a shade that’s different from someone else’s isn’t necessarily a stain: natural tooth color, brightness, and translucency vary from person to person.

Why teeth look more yellow with age

Aging isn’t a separate type of stain. As enamel thins with age, more of the yellowish dentin underneath shows through, which is why it’s listed among the causes of deep discoloration.

What Different Stain Colors Can Mean

The color of a stain sometimes points to its cause, but it’s only a clue, so a dentist confirms what it is.

Color	Often linked to
Yellow	Dark foods and drinks, tobacco, aging, or plaque that’s been left behind
Brown	Tobacco; brown spots with small holes can be decay; some fluorosis stains are brown
Black	A surface black stain near the gumline, or areas of severe decay
Gray	A tooth whose nerve has died, which an injury can cause, or old metal fillings
Purple	Drinking a lot of red wine
White spots	Too much fluoride while teeth were forming, or early decay where enamel has lost minerals

Decay tends to be darker than stains, and stains tend to affect several teeth; one tiny dark spot on one tooth is more likely to be a cavity.

Black Stains on Teeth

A black mark on a tooth can be decay, or it can be a surface stain called black stain. They can look alike, so a dentist should check.

Black stain looks like a dark line or a row of dark dots along the teeth near the gumline, and it’s firmly attached. It’s common in children but also seen in adults. Researchers think it’s a form of plaque made by certain bacteria, with the dark color coming from iron combined with sulfur, although the causes aren’t fully understood. Because it sits on the surface, black stain is usually treated with a professional cleaning, and repeat cleanings may be needed.

Decay is different. Black spots can mean areas of severe decay, and decay often starts as a chalky white area that turns light brown and then darker as it deepens. A dentist can check for soft or sticky areas and may take x-rays, and decay is treated by removing the decayed part and filling the tooth, so a small dark spot on one tooth is worth a call to your dentist.

Common Causes of Tooth Stains

Some causes of staining can be avoided, like dark drinks, tobacco, and plaque, and others can’t, like aging, injury, some medicines, and genetics.

• Food and drink: coffee, tea, and red wine carry strong color pigments that attach to enamel, and berries, soy sauce, cola, and dark fruits can stain too.
• Tobacco: tar is dark and nicotine turns yellowish in air, so smoking and chewing tobacco often turn enamel yellow or brown.
• Plaque: stains cling to plaque, so skipped brushing and flossing make discoloration more likely.
• Aging: enamel thins, and more of the yellowish dentin shows through.
• Injury: a blow to the mouth can make a tooth darken, including through damage to the nerve inside.
• Decay: it can show as white, brown, or black staining.
• Fluorosis: too much fluoride while a young child’s teeth are forming can leave faint white lines or spots, and it can only develop until about age 8.
• Medicines and treatments: some antihistamines, antipsychotics, and blood pressure medicines can darken teeth; certain antibiotics taken while teeth are forming can discolor adult teeth later; and chemotherapy and head and neck radiation can change tooth color.
• Dental materials: old metal fillings can make teeth look grayish.
• Inherited conditions: some affect how enamel or dentin forms.

What Can Remove or Cover Stains

What helps depends on the cause and on whether the stain is on the surface or inside the tooth.

Many surface stains, including black stain, can be reduced with a professional cleaning. Professional whitening works best on surface stains, and some stains inside the tooth lighten too, but others respond poorly or not at all.

Discoloration	How whitening tends to work
Yellow	Tends to bleach well
Brown	Tends to bleach less well
Gray	May not bleach at all
From medicines or an injury	May not respond
From tobacco	May respond less well
Crowns, veneers, fillings	Don’t change color

Because whitening only changes natural teeth, crowns, veneers, and fillings keep their color and may not match afterward. For discoloration that doesn’t improve with whitening, veneers or crowns may be an option to cover it. Veneers cover only the front surface and aren’t reversible, because some enamel is removed, and a crown may be recommended when a tooth is also weakened or decayed.

When a Stain Means You Should See a Dentist

Much of the time discoloration is a cosmetic concern, but some changes are a reason to see a dentist rather than try to whiten them.

• One tooth changes color, which is often caused by decay or an injury to that tooth.
• A tooth darkened after an injury, since it won’t necessarily heal on its own.
• A small dark spot appears on one tooth, which may be a cavity.
• A white spot appears, which can be the first sign of decay.
• Discoloration comes with pain, bad breath, bleeding gums, or holes in the teeth; see a dentist right away.

It’s also wise to talk to a dentist before starting any whitening, since whiteners don’t correct every type of discoloration. At the visit, the dentist examines your teeth, may ask when the change began and about your diet, medicines, and health history, and may take x-rays.

How to Help Prevent Stains

You can’t prevent every cause, but everyday habits reduce surface staining.

• Brush twice a day for two minutes with a soft-bristled brush and a fluoride toothpaste that has the ADA Seal.
• Clean between your teeth once a day.
• Cut back on coffee, tea, cola, and red wine, and rinse with water after drinks that stain.
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco.
• Keep up regular checkups and professional cleanings.

Stain Treatment at Icon Dental Center

At Icon Dental Center, our general dentists, Dr. Aboulhosn, Dr. Valentine, and Dr. Kwok, do cosmetic work, including veneers. Our teeth whitening page has more about whitening at our Everett office.

Common Questions About Tooth Stains

Is black stain on a child’s teeth a cavity?

Not necessarily. Black stain is a surface deposit that’s common in children and usually shows as a dark line or dots near the gums, but decay can also look dark, so a dentist should check.

Does fluorosis harm teeth?

In the US, fluorosis is mostly mild and cosmetic. It doesn’t affect how teeth work, it isn’t painful, and it can only develop while a child’s teeth are forming.

Is my natural tooth shade a stain?

Not necessarily. Natural tooth color, brightness, and translucency vary from person to person, so a shade that’s different from someone else’s doesn’t mean something is wrong.