An epidemiologic study of factors affecting extrinsic staining of teeth in an English population

A survey is described in which extrinsic staining of teeth was assessed by practising dentists during routine clinical examinations. Habits information was also supplied by patients. The results show that extrinsic staining is markedly influenced by smoking habits and age, and that males tend to have more staining than females. The effect of tea and coffee consumption was not pronounced. No effect attributable to the use of a stannous fluoride toothpaste was observed.