How Dental Veneers Can Restore Your Smile If Your Teeth Have Tetracycline Damage

Everyone wants a pearly white, Hollywood smile, but while most of us can achieve a beautiful shiny smile with a good dental hygiene regimen and frequent trips to the dentist, some people have more difficulty keeping their teeth white. People whose teeth have been damaged by the medication tetracycline can have particular trouble keeping their teeth looking white and healthy, but modern dentistry allows these people to achieve a camera-ready smile with dental veneers.

What is tetracycline, and how does it affect the colour of your teeth?

Tetracycline is a versatile antibiotic that can be used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, such as diarrhoea and certain STDs. However, one of the drug's side effects is that it can disrupt the development of your adult teeth if taken when very young (usually 8 years or younger). Tetracycline may also have damaged your teeth if your mother took it to treat and infection while you were still in the womb. For these reasons, tetracycline has not been used to treat children or pregnant women since the early 80s.

If you took tetracycline as a child, or your mother did while you were developing in her womb, your teeth may well have been permanently stained by the effects of the drug. Tetracycline stains usually appear as yellow or brown streaks on the teeth, although in some cases they can make the affected teeth appear grey or blue. These stains cannot be removed no matter how hard you brush and floss, and whitening gels and creams will only have a limited effect.

How can dental veneers restore my tetracycline-damaged teeth?

If your teeth have been irrevocably stained by tetracycline, one of the best ways to achieve a shiny white smile is by having your dentist fit you with dental veneers. Unlike dental crowns and bridges, dentists do not have to remove a large amount of your existing tooth enamel to fit veneers, making them the perfect choice if your teeth are stained but otherwise strong and relatively undamaged. If your teeth were weakened somewhat by tetracycline usage, veneers can also be used to even out minor chips and cracks in your teeth.

If you do choose to have veneers fitted to fix a stained smile, you should try to decide in advance whether you want amalgam or porcelain veneers: 

• Porcelain is the traditional choice of veneer material and has the closest resemblance to natural, healthy tooth enamel, especially under bright lights which can make composite veneers look somewhat dull. However, they are more brittle than composite veneers, and also tend to be considerably more expensive, so you should only choose porcelain if you can afford both the cost of the veneers and any future repair treatments you may need.
• Composite veneers are made from the same material as tooth-coloured cavity fillings, and a well-made set of composite veneers will look like healthy natural teeth under most conditions. They are particularly useful if you are fond of hard, crunchy foods (such as popcorn or seeds) which can chip and crack porcelain veneers. They can also be fitted more quickly than porcelain veneers, and if they do become damaged they can be repaired more swiftly by your dentist.