Tetracycline Teeth Stains
Santa Monica
How Tetracycline Stains Got Started
Tetracycline stains are unfortunately the most problematic and difficult to manage and remove. Many years ago, tetracycline was prescribed by doctors as an effective antibiotic for treating many illnesses. It was even perceived to be a more effective treatment than penicillin. The devastating long term cosmetic effects on teeth enamel were not known at the time.
Many of today's adult population who received tetracycline treatment are now faced with teeth stains that are seemingly unmanageable and frustratingly untreatable.
Tetracycline Research
Various dentistry professionals and researchers discovered that tetracycline staining actually becomes darker as the tooth is penetrated below the surface.
Endodontic specialists at USC discovered an effective method of tooth whitening that involved bleaching each tooth - starting from the inner part of the tooth and bleaching "outwards." This was a fairly invasive technique however, that required a complete root canal on each affected tooth. For many people this would be unfeasible.
Tetracycline Treatment with Dr. Muslin
The young lady in the adjacent photo expressed a desire of treating her severely stained teeth. She, too, received tetracycline treatments as a youngster for an extended time. All of her teeth had a "stain band" (see photos below for detail)
Her primary goal was to have the "whitest of white" teeth. Dr. Muslin determined that her teeth would respond to a "customized" application of teeth whitening procedures.
Different Patients - Different Teeth Whitening
No two patients will respond identically to a particular teeth whitening procedure. Dr. Muslin uses any combination of BriteSmile, Zoom, Rembrandt, and laser teeth whitening methods that will be effective for the individual patient.
Tetracycline Bleaching - Cosmetic Dentistry
During the patient's consult with Dr. Muslin, she learned that additional procedures could help her address some other cosmetic concerns. She had gaps between her upper teeth and also had teeth that were too narrow. Crowns that were placed by another dentist were too dark. Lastly, gumline symmetry was not balanced.
It was decided by the patient that she would not only acquire an ultra bright smile but undergo some popular cosmetic procedures incorporating the use of porcelain materials to match the whiteness achieved on her natural teeth.
The first step, before selecting the porcelain materials, was to achieve the highest degree of whiteness for all of her teeth. Dr. Muslin used laser teeth whitening procedures to obtain the shade of whiteness desired by the patient. Her teeth responded well to the laser treatments.
Porcelain crowns were recommended by Dr. Muslin to widen the narrow appearance of her smile... thereby closing up the apparent gaps in her upper teeth. Dr. Muslin was able to help the patient understand that the net effect would be an even broader, natural-looking and whiter smile which would certainly enhance her attractiveness.
Precision Dental Ceramics
Matching the color of the new porcelain materials to the patient's new whiteness level of her lower teeth was no small task... requiring close coordination between the patient, Dr. Muslin and his ceramist.
This extra effort had a very dramatic impact on this reconstructive effort, as can be seen in this second photo. The patient overwhelmingly achieved her primary goal of having the "whitest of white" teeth.
No unsightly stains. The gum reshaping and recontouring produced a symmetrical gum line that was desired by the patient. Precision ceramics produced a smile line (the arc of the lower biting edge of the upper teeth) that established the final "harmony" of her smile (the pictures tell the story).
Contact Dr. Muslin and his staff at (310) 829-6796 to learn more about his teeth bleaching procedures and how they can be successful in treating the worst stains imagineable ... including tetracycline.
Review the photos below for closer detail:
