There are many people that suffer from the problem of tetracycline tooth stains. In fact, this is a problem that is quite complicated because it can stain the teeth ranging from bright yellow shade to even dark brown. The staining starts with a yellowish hue, but in course of time, the teeth can further get stained and discolored. In fact, it is the chemical reaction within the teeth that gives this color to the teeth. This is a common condition, and you will find that there are many people who have brown or yellow teeth. Under the exposure of ultraviolet radiation of sun, the chemical reaction can become severe resulting in further discoloration.
Tetracycline is an antibiotic which is quite powerful and therefore is responsible for killing large numbers of bacteria. These bacteria are not harmful, but they are life-saving. With the death of these bacteria, the teeth gets stained and discolored. Deposits are formed on the dentin as well as the enamel, which in turn, is responsible for creating a permanent grey brown stain. If proper treatment is not done, the nature of discoloration can become uniform and the stains might occur in varying density, which can range from mild to dark.
Treatment Options for Tetracycline Stains:
There are large numbers of treatment options available for this condition. However, the most important thing that should be kept in mind in this context is that when the teeth are stained through tetracycline, bleaching does not prove to be quite effective or beneficial. In fact, bleaching is too dark as well as deep for tetracycline. However, the best option for treatment in this case is the use of porcelain veneers. If you consult with a cosmetic dentist, he will take a close look at your condition; while at the same time will also give you porcelain veneers through which the discoloration can be reduced.
Teeth Whitening or Placing Veneers
Don’t be in a misconception that the Teeth Whitening procedures would be the easy option to remove the stains, because that wouldn’t really work and you would just be damaging the teeth surface if you get the whitening procedures repeatedly done. Placing veneers or laminates is the best treatment option in the Cosmetic Dental procedures in this case, because the entire surface of the tooth has to be replaced with something that looks naturally white.
Treating by Internal Bleaching
This is a technique which would come to good use when the teeth are treated with Root Canal Treatment and the pulp is not vital. When the tooth is not treated with the Root Canal Procedure, then the Internal bleaching cannot be done. In this procedure, the bleaching is done by the Dentist inside the tooth, so that the color changes internally, but this is indicated when there is no active pulp in the tooth.
Placing Aesthetic Crowns
This would be the final treatment option when no other way of treating the affected teeth is indicated. Here, the teeth are prepared by removing 1-2 mm of the surface of each tooth and then esthetic crowns are placed over them to give a complete new look to the tooth. This although is one of the best final option of treatment, it would cost a lot for the procedure based on the number of teeth.
Effective Preventive Measures:
It is very essential to remember that tetracycline can often cross the barrier of the placenta and can also get incorporated into the developing tooth. This is the reason why it is very essential for pregnant mothers as well as nursing mother to go for any form of treatment associated with removal of tetracycline tooth stains. Moreover, since there are many antibiotics involved in the removal of these stains, these are also not recommended for children, until and unless, the situation is quite rare. You should always try to consult with your doctor, as soon as, you face this problem.
Therefore, once you are well aware of the different things that are associated with tetracycline tooth stains, you should ensure that you consult with a doctor. At the same time, you should also remember that you get effective solution at the earliest, so that you do not have any problem with the effectiveness of the procedure. So, what are you waiting for? It is high time that you get the necessary treatment done keeping in mind the preventative measures, so that you can get bright and shinning teeth.
There is no need to panic if you are affected with the same, and still wondering whether you would be still getting more problems due to the usage of Tetracyclines, these are still safe for you because whatever stains you have got was because of the defect during birth, and that has nothing to do with the resistance of the patient towards the drug.
The drug is still used today worldwide due to its antiomicrobial property, and the only way the staining can be prevented is by changing the antibiotic when it has to be prescribed to a pregnant mother or young children.
Other Drugs that cause Tooth Discoloration
It is not just the Tetracycline which causes the discoloration and staining of the teeth, but there are a few other too. These include:
- Tetracycline homologues – These are the drugs that are usually given as an alternative to the tetracycline, and these include Chlortetracycline, demethylchlortetracycline and oxytetracycline which are known to cause brown or gray or yellow stains on the teeth.
- Ciprofloxacin – This is a drug which would cause green staining on the teeth and this is a drug of choice for the treatment of infections caused due to Klebsiella. Though the staining won’t be as heavy and dark as the Tetracycline staining, it is well noticeable. This drug is given intravenously to the infants, and thus there is no link to the pregnant mothers with the Teeth staining.
- Minocycline Hydrochloride – This drug produces tooth staining at any stage of the life, and is the drug of choice for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The discoloration to the tooth is caused due to the oxidation of the tooth surface by the Minocycline component of the drug. Unlike the other drugs mentioned above, Minocycline can affect even the fully erupted permanent teeth.
Very interesting, I had been on those for years with Lyme disease and wasn’t aware of that effect on the teeth. Good to know what would not work too and not waste time and money. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks man for this post .
i have a friend who actually have this type of problem and he really smokes cigars and drink alcohol too much. he also not used to tooth brush so i took him to doc and his doctor first teat her then give him Ciprofloxacin. and that works fine actually.
My yellow teeth due to tetracycline staining is a constant source of embarrassment. I’ve never smoked. Don’t drink alcohol , coffee or tea. I mainly drink water or sugar free beverages ( not carbonated). Yet everyone who sees my teeth assume that I must take drugs or smoke heavily. I brush my teeth gently ( soft bristle brush) every single time after I eat for approx. 20 min. I religiously floss every night. I see a dentist for cleaning when I can afford to. Even though I fear dentists, I force myself to go. I never eat ( and I mean NEVER) if I can’t brush my teeth after). This issue has controlled my entire life. I can’t afford veneers. Even if I could, I would need to know that the removal of enamel to accommodate the veneers would not compromise the health of my teeth. Why can’t the dental profession create a bonding type solution to this problem. I’ve had bonding on my front teeth years ago ( when I had insurance) and, even though they could not make the bonding material a white color, I was still pleased with the results. That was at least 15 yrs. ago. I know that I will never have beautiful white teeth, regardless of how much I do to keep my teeth healthy. I just wish that people would not be so mean when they see my teeth.