Eliminating Teeth Stains Resistant to Bleaching

Treating Deep Teeth Discoloration or Tetracycline Stains

Tetracycline stains appear gray or dark brown on teeth and require a potent bleaching agent to achieve a whiter appearance. Although in-office teeth whitening can lighten tetracycline-stained teeth, the final result will depend on the initial color.

In general, Bleaching may not be very effective in these cases. While the white areas of the teeth may become significantly lighter, the dark stained areas typically do not show significant improvement.

If you have horizontal bands of gray stains, the gray colors will not discolor, the white areas of your teeth will lighten, and the horizontal bars will be more visible after bleaching.

Because of these limitations, we do not recommend using bleach on teeth stained with tetracycline. Even if minor improvements are possible, the results are often short-lived and can quickly revert.

Alternatives for Unsuccessful Teeth Whitening

If professional teeth bleaching has not achieved the desired color for your teeth, cosmetic dentistry offers comprehensive treatments such as crowns and veneers.

These treatments can conceal dark discoloration and provide a brighter, more uniform appearance to your teeth without stain bands. You can achieve a bright, white smile with no prep (Lumineers) or porcelain veneers.

Options for Improving Teeth Discoloration

If you are dissatisfied with the color of your teeth after a professional teeth bleaching procedure, comprehensive dental work such as crowns or veneers may help give you a brighter, more attractive smile. These treatments use opaque porcelain to block the dark color of the tetracycline stain by bonding the thin porcelain to your teeth.

However, this method may not provide a natural-looking result, as the porcelain must be made white and opaque to block the dark color effectively. Just placing veneers like those who do not have the dark teeth caused by Tetracycline often results in a fake, temporary appearance.

Traditional veneers or crowns with some tooth reduction may be necessary for a more natural, translucent look. The dark color of the tetracycline stain tends to get darker as it penetrates deeper into the tooth, so a thicker porcelain layer is required to block the color and create a translucent effect.

Creating natural-looking teeth can create a dilemma, as thicker veneers or crowns may lead to a shadier color and more teeth structure reduction. Therefore, working with an experienced cosmetic dentist and laboratory technician is essential to achieve a natural-looking result with minimal teeth reduction.

Cosmetic dentistry with crowns or veneers is an option if you are unsatisfied with the results of professional teeth bleaching. The tooth preparation must be done correctly by the cosmetic dentist to achieve the desired result.

If the preparation is too shallow, the veneers may not effectively hide the dark stain:

1. Veneers cannot block the dark color.
2. If you can block the dark stain with thin veneers such as no-prep veneers, you most likely lose their natural appearance.
3. You could have very bulky teeth (veneers) to block the dark stain and lose the tooth's natural transparency.

If the dentist preps too deep, it will weaken your teeth; worst-case scenario, it could cause root canal treatment.