My twin sister and I both have tetracycline stains. About seven years ago, she had porcelain veneers placed to make her stained teeth look better. While I feel they do look better than the darkly stained teeth we’ve both suffered with, to me they didn’t look quite natural. She was told they had to use an opaque type of veneer in order to cover the stains. I’d really like to deal with my teeth, but am hoping the technology has developed to make them look more natural than my sister’s. If it hasn’t, should I wait, do it anyway, or look for a different treatment option such as teeth whitening?
Corin
Dear Corin,
Tetracycline stains are one of the most difficult cosmetic cases a dentist will face. There are two ways most cosmetic dentists will deal with tetracycline stains. If the patients can afford it, they’ll use porcelain veneers. If they can’t, you can sometimes have some success using the KöR Teeth Whitening system.
You asked if the technology has improved enough for the porcelain veneers to look natural. That has been available from the beginning of porcelain veneers. The problem is, it takes a dentist so advanced only about 1-2% of dentists have the knowledge and skills necessary to create a beautiful natural-looking smile.
The trick is getting it opaque enough to cover the dark color, yet translucent enough to reflect light and look as shiny and natural as your natural teeth.
I would suggest having whitening done on the bottom arch and porcelain veneers on the top arch. However, you will need the best of the best cosmetic dentists.
Finding a Dentist Skilled with Porcelain Veneers
One way to find a dentist with the expertise you need is to go to www.aacd.com. This is the website for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (aacd.com). On this page, they have a link to help people locate a cosmetic dentist in their area. You’ll want to put a checkmark where it has an “accredited” dentist. in the search form.
AACD accredited dentists are the ones who can not just cover your tetracycline stains, but do it in a way where you will have a stunning smile you’ll be proud of for years to come.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.