Do some people experience heavier stain than others, regardless of lifestyle factors like tobacco or coffee use?
A Some people have a metabolism that increases their likelihood of extrinsic stains. For instance, some diseases and categories of drugs lead to a marked decrease in salivary flow. This in turn causes the translucent salivary pellicle layer to change its nature and pick up more extrinsic stain. Stains, which are normally not present when salivary flow is normal, attach to this altered pellicle layer. The salivary pellicle that picks up stains most of the time forms normally. In fact, after the hygienist cleans the teeth of the patient, the process—called adsorption—starts all over again as soon as the saliva touches the teeth and the protein pellicle layer is pulled from the saliva and almost seems to bond to the enamel. The best solution to this problem is to increase the saliva flow of the patient. The simplest way to accomplish this may be to prescribe sugarless gum. As little as three or four sticks a day can make a difference in the level of saliva flow. Another option is to chang
