stained teeth best solution? - Dental Health Message Board

Spandex · 05-02-2005, 09:08 PM

I have one of my front teeth stained because of tetracyclin (antibiotic) when I was young and I'd really like to get rid of it. The stain itself is about 1/4 of my tooth and sometimes it's barely noiticeable but others it turns glowish yellow and it can be seen a mile away which really annoys me. The rest of my teeth are fine it's jsut that one that got stained. I'd like to know if the crest white strips or colgate simply white or any of those would get rid of it? Or would they just whiten the rest of my teeth and make the stain even more noticeable? Because I don't feel like spending thousands of dollars on getting it removed with laser. I've also been using these "whitening toothpastes" with baking soda and peroxide for about 4 months, and they have somehow whitened a little my smile, but the stain is still there. What should I do?

Spandex · 05-04-2005, 04:15 PM

anybody? please help

Cinemagic · 05-04-2005, 07:26 PM

Tetracycline stains are not really stains, but rather a disruption of the enamel rods as they are being formed. This disruption gives the darked stain appraeance. Bleaching or whitening rarely does any good. Sometimes, if it's not too bad, a surface sanding of the tooth can remiove the stained appearance. This would work if the timing of the antibiotic treatment and the formation of the tooth was such that it was a surface enamel rod disruption that did not extend very deep (as the deeper portions were already formed. More often than not, a porcelain veneer is the best option.