Discolored Attachment?

[MzSJP]

I have a brownish mark on one of my attachments. I was afraid that it could be a cavity forming, but the hygentist (the person who originally placed the attacments on my teeth) took a look at it today and said that it is just a discoloration. She asked if I drank coffee and I mentioned that I drank hot chocolate occasionally and she said that that is the culprit. She shaved away some of the discoloration, but there is still some there.

I don't understand how discoloration could occcur from the hot chocolate when I always clean my teeth right after drinking it.

Has anyone ever had their attachment(s) become discolored?

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Attachments can become discoloured overtime. Usually a quick polishing is good enough to fix the problem, but on occasion, if they are an aesthetic concern they have to be replaced.

The attachment is made of resin and can be somewhat porous. Remember that even after you clean your teeth, your saliva may still have a brownish tinge.

[MzSJP]

Thanks for the insight Dr. Tam. Can this or other stains turn into cavities over time? That is my main concern. I have a cleaning coming up in a few weeks, hopefully that will get the stain off.

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Stains don't generally turn into cavities unless the reason for the staining is poor oral hygiene and plaque is being left. There are a lot of people with stained teeth that don't have cavities. Cavities are generally only dark if they are really, really big so by the time you see them, they have been there for a long time.