Veneers to Cover Tetracycline Stains

Many, many years ago..........the baby boomers will remember this.......the antibiotic Tetracycline was widely used to treat a variety of ailments in children as well as adults. It is still used today for more specific diseases but more is known now about the effects of the drug on permanent teeth of children in their formative years. Tetracycline has been known to cause a staining of the teeth in children whose teeth are in the formative stages. It attacks the teeth from the inside, and the discoloration begins before the tooth is completely formed. The stain then becomes encased in the tooth. These stains can range from very light to a very dark brownish gray color. Until recent advances in dentistry became available, the procedures to mask the stains included bleaching, which was essentially ineffective because the tooth is discolored on the inside as well as the outside, or placing a porcelain crown, which involved grinding the actual tooth and fitting a crown over it to cover them. In many cases, the dark portion of the tooth would still show through the crown. The newest and most effective procedure in dentistry by far is the porcelain veneer. Here is an article including some before and after pictures of people with tetracycline stains who have opted for the veneers. They are a bit pricey, but worth the cost when you see how easy it is and the end result. Amazing!

Repost from January 2008