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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

Tetracycline stains and chipped dental bonding

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My dentist covered my tetracycline stains with dental bonding five years ago. Now the bonding is dull and starting to chip. I searched the cost of porcelain veneers and even found some online price ranges on dental websites. But I cannot afford veneers. Is there a way to whiten the bonding, or will I have to replace it all? I’m at a new dentist now (since last year), and I would like to know my options before they try to upsell me. Thank you. Fatu from Boston

Fatu,

Thank you for your inquiry. We will provide some information about tetracycline stains and your cosmetic dentistry options.

What Causes Tetracycline Stains in Teeth?

Tetracycline stains develop if you take the antibiotic as a child while your permanent teeth are forming. As a result, deposits in your tooth dentin (layer beneath the enamel) will show up as brown or gray spots or stripes in your teeth.

Treating Tetracycline Stains

An advanced cosmetic dentist can treat tetracycline stains with bleaching treatment, dental bonding, porcelain veneers, or a combination of treatments. But do not try to treat tetracycline stains at home. It can make the stains look even more noticeable.

Dental Bonding for Tetracycline Stains

If you already have dental bonding on your teeth for tetracycline stains, a skilled cosmetic can improve your teeth with these steps:

  • Use sandpaper discs to remove the old bonding
  • Whiten your teeth with a potent bleaching system
  • Apply dental bonding as needed

Dental bonding lasts several years before it needs to be touched up or replaced.

Teeth Whitening

Depending on the severity of the tetracycline stains in your teeth, a dentist may be able to use teeth whitening only to improve the stains. You must use the product as directed. Over-the-counter teeth whitening is not strong enough to affect tetracycline stains, so don’t waste your money on it.

Porcelain Veneers

Photo of dental forceps holding a single porcelain veneers, from the office of accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Szarek of Lowell, MA.

Advanced cosmetic dentists skillfully use porcelain veneers to hid tetracycline stains

An advanced cosmetic dentist knows how to maintain porcelain’s translucence and hide tetracycline stains. Unfortunately, most general or family dentists do not have advanced cosmetic dentistry training. So although they can give you veneers, they might look chalky or pasty if your dentist doesn’t understand how to provide you with natural-looking results.

What If You Cannot Afford a Cosmetic Dentist?

If you cannot afford a cosmetic dentist, we recommend that you start saving money to get one. An expert cosmetic dentist can replace dental bonding or give you beautiful porcelain veneers. But if you are hasty and get cheap dental bonding, you will need to replace it so often that you will likely wish you had waited until you could afford quality work.

Meanwhile, you can schedule a consultation with an advanced or accredited cosmetic dentist to discuss your options. Then you will have a better idea of how to budget for your smile makeover. And you can learn about payment options to make it affordable.

 

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.

 

How can I get coffee stains off my teeth?

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I have coffee stains on my teeth from drinking coffee since I was a teenager. My hygienist says they are intrinsic stains that require professional whitening. Is this true, or is there a toothpaste I can use to at least whiten my teeth a little? Will you please explain what intrinsic stains are? Thank you. Stacie from NH

Stacie,

Thank you for your question.

Intrinsic and extrinsic stains are textbook terms that a dentist would not use with a patient without an explanation. But your hygienist is correct—coffee stains are intrinsic. We will explain the terms.

Extrinsic tooth stains

Extrinsic, or external, tooth stains are on the surface of your teeth. If you smoke or chew tobacco, stains build up on your teeth. External factors cause extrinsic stains, and you can remove them with by brushing your teeth with whitening toothpaste or with a dental cleaning. But lingering extrinsic tooth stains can penetrate your teeth and become intrinsic.

Intrinsic tooth stains

Intrinsic, or internal, stains are embedded inside teeth beneath the enamel. Intrinsic stains take years to develop. Years of drinking coffee or tea or eating staining foods like dark berries, eventually penetrate the teeth. Although toothpaste will not remove stains beneath the tooth enamel, bleaching will remove them.

How to Remove Coffee Stains from Teeth

You can remove coffee stains from your teeth with professional bleaching gel. If you have been a coffee drinker for years, the stains are in your teeth, not simply on your teeth. The professional-strength gel that dentists use penetrates your teeth and releases oxygen bubbles to break down stains.

Does whitening toothpaste work on coffee stains?

Although whitening toothpaste will remove surface stains on teeth, it cannot remove coffee stains embedded beneath your tooth enamel for these reasons:

  • The whitening agent is not potent enough for internal stains
  • The toothpaste does not stay in contact with your teeth long enough to penetrate them
  • Coffee stains are deep in your teeth—beneath the enamel

You will need professional teeth whitening from a dentist or professional strength bleaching gel and custom trays to penetrate your teeth and break up coffee stains.

Why use custom teeth whitening trays for coffee stains?

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Custom bleaching trays fit your teeth precisely

Custom bleaching trays are made after a dentist takes impressions of your teeth. The trays fit your teeth only, and no one else can wear them. When you put bleaching gel in custom trays, it is sealed against your teeth for deep penetration. The trays keep the gel in contact with your teeth to blast away coffee stains. The trays also keep bleaching gel away from your gums so it will not burn them. Over-the-counter teeth whitening trays do not fit your teeth as precisely, so whitening treatment is not as effective.

Endogenous stains

Endogenous stains begin within teeth that are developing during childhood. A skilled cosmetic dentist must examine endogenous stains to determine which cosmetic treatment is best for the stains.

  • Tetracycline – Tetracycline stains are endogenous. If a child takes the antibiotic tetracycline while permanent teeth are developing, the medication will darken teeth from the inside out. Tetracycline makes teeth turn brown.
  • Genetics – Some teeth have genetically dark pigmentation.
  • Fluorosis – If a child consumes too much fluoride while their teeth are developing, a blotchy color will dominate the teeth. Bleaching fluorosis stains will make matters worse. For details about fluorosis stains, read our post, My dentist can’t remove the brown stains on my teeth.

Best wishes for a brighter smile.

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.