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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.

 

5 Facts About Tetracycline-Stained Teeth that You Shouldn’t Ignore

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Many people are tempted to self-treat severe tetracycline staining by whitening their teeth or asking their family dentist for porcelain veneers. But this aesthetic issue requires much more skill than most dentists have.

1. What Causes Tetracycline Stains on Teeth?

If you took the antibiotic tetracycline as a child while your permanent teeth were still forming, the antibiotic might be discolored. Most likely, your teeth are grayish brown, and in severe cases, they are very dark.

2. Does Teeth Whitening Help Tetracycline Stains?

The KöR whitening system is so powerful that it can lighten tetracycline stains. Other teeth whitening systems are ineffective for these stains. Although KöR might not completely resolve the issue, it’s less expensive than porcelain veneers and can improve your smile. Keep in mind that your cosmetic dentist might not use KöR as treatment, or it might not be an option for your case.

3. Will Porcelain Veneers Help?

Although some dentists try to cover tetracycline stains with porcelain veneers, the results often don’t look good on your smile. There are several reasons:

  • Porcelain needs to be translucent to look natural – But translucency allows the dark stains to show through your veneers.
  • Opaque porcelain veneers don’t look natural either – If a dentist chooses to reduce the translucency in your veneers to conceal tetracycline stains, your teeth will look chalky or pasty.
  • Full coverage is needed – Often, dentists who lack experience in concealing tetracycline stains cover the fronts of the teeth—not the sides. This technique leaves dark shadows on the edges of your teeth.

The above scenarios attract attention to your smile for the wrong reasons. And that’s what you’re already trying to avoid. But in the hands of a skilled dentist, porcelain veneers can transform your smile.

4. Your Choice of Dentist Matters

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

Only advanced cosmetic dentists can conceal tetracycline stains with veneers

Porcelain veneers can conceal tetracycline stains. But it requires the skill of an accomplished cosmetic dentist who understands how to block dark discoloration in your teeth while maintaining translucency in your porcelain veneers. It’s an art that most dentists lack. Aesthetic-driven laboratories craft opalescent porcelains that advanced dentists use to help you smile with confidence.

5. Consult with an Advanced Cosmetic Dentist

We recommend that you search for an accredited cosmetic dentist. Avoid asking your family dentist to try to resolve this issue for you. Most family dentists will taper your teeth and place porcelain crowns over them. Still, if the stains are very dark, crowns won’t completely conceal the discoloration. An accredited cosmetic dentist will preserve most of your natural tooth structure by treating the tetracycline stains with veneers or KöR whitening if appropriate.

During your consultation and exam, ask the accredited cosmetic dentist a few questions:

  • What treatment will you use to conceal the tetracycline stains in my teeth?
  • What results can I expect?
  • How many cases like mine have you completed?
  • May I see before-and-after photos of tetracycline cases you’ve treated with porcelain veneers or KöR whitening?

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