Extrinsic staining on teeth is believed to be caused by external agents and:

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Multiple Choice

Extrinsic staining on teeth is believed to be caused by external agents and:

Extrinsic staining sits on the external surface of the enamel, coming from pigments in foods, drinks, tobacco, and plaque. Because the color is on the surface, it is typically removable by mechanical cleaning and polishing with abrasive material, which physically lifts the stain off the enamel film. Intrinsic changes are inside the tooth and not typically removed by surface cleaning, stains that cannot be cleaned away describe a non-surface problem, and permanent surface changes aren’t the usual result of extrinsic staining. Therefore, the best statement is that extrinsic staining can be readily removed from the surface with an abrasive material.

Extrinsic staining sits on the external surface of the enamel, coming from pigments in foods, drinks, tobacco, and plaque. Because the color is on the surface, it is typically removable by mechanical cleaning and polishing with abrasive material, which physically lifts the stain off the enamel film. Intrinsic changes are inside the tooth and not typically removed by surface cleaning, stains that cannot be cleaned away describe a non-surface problem, and permanent surface changes aren’t the usual result of extrinsic staining. Therefore, the best statement is that extrinsic staining can be readily removed from the surface with an abrasive material.

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