How to Fix Teeth Stained by Tetracycline
When it comes to teeth that were stained a VERY dark brown or grey when you were young and took the antibiotic tetracycline, there are unfortunately not a lot of options for making a dramatic change. While Deep BleachingTM is the most conservative option, it isn’t necessarily for everyone. And if you’ve already had some previous cosmetic dentistry done and also want that redone to look better with the modern techniques cosmetic dentistry can offer, you most likely need a Total Smile Makeover.
Replacing ugly old porcelain-and-metal crowns with a dark grey line at the gums with porcelain-to-gold crowns that look beautiful, natural, and white – to cover tetracycline-stained teeth.
Chan was just such a patient when he first came to my office back in 2005; his old porcelain-to-metal crowns had been done many years previously, but his bite never felt quite right, and he just wasn’t thrilled with the look. In addition, over time his gums had receded slightly, leaving the grey metal edges exposed and unattractive. Honestly, his teeth were the absolute darkest brown stained teeth I’ve EVER seen, even 5 years later.
Could porcelain veneers be used to treat tetracycline-stained teeth? Possibly, but it’s highly unlikely in a case like this. We actually NEEDED metal under the crowns (nowadays we have a different option) to mask the super-dark teeth, so we ended up choosing CaptekTM crowns, which have a very high gold content to give a beautiful, natural light reflection that looks fabulous. Not only that, but they’ve been proven to help repel plaque at the gum level and keep gums super-healthy.
As you can imagine, Chan is MUCH happier with his smile now!
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