Covering Tetracycline Stains

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My twin sister and I both have tetracycline stains. Years ago, she got porcelain veneers to improve the look of her smile. However, she had to make them opaque looking in order to adequately cover the stains. I want to make my smile look better but don’t know if the technique has improved over the last few years. Can you advise me?

Gail

Dear Gail,

The technology to create gorgeous, natural looking porcelain veneers has been around for years. The problem lies in whether the dentist you choose to do your smile makeover has both the skills and artistry to to give you a stunning result. The truth is very few dentists who are able to do a successful tetracycline case. Porcelain veneers are an advanced cosmetic procedure and tetracycline stains are the most challenging of that procedure.

The reason for this is that the dentist needs to get the veneers opaque enough to cover the stains, while still ensuring that the there is enough translucency to mimic the natural tooth. As you can see from the image above, it can be done beautifully. So where do you find the type of dentist that can give you a stunning result?

If I were in your place, I would look for someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists. AACD accredited dentists are in the top 1-3% of cosmetic dentists in the world. This is different than being a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In order to receive AACD accreditation, a dentist has to take stringent exams demonstrating their technical knowledge of the procedures. Many dentists have no problem passing that part. It’s the practical they struggle with. In this, they have to submit a large number of specific procedures they’ve done with before and after pictures. These pictures have to be taken in a way that all the aspects can be taken into consideration and a board of examiners go over them. Not only do the procedures have to be technically proficient, but they have to be gorgeous as well. You’ll get a gorgeous result from any one of them.

This blog is brought to you by Naples, FL Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Long.