Peck Family Dentistry Blog

Tag: tetracycline stains

  • Lumineers for Tetracycline Stains

    My husband has tetracycline stains and is being quoted about $1200 per tooth for Lumineers. That is a LOT of money. When we mentioned that, the dentist told him that Lumineers are cheaper than other brands of porcelain veneers and we won’t get a better deal. Is this accurate?

    Brooke

    Dear Brooke,

    porcelain veneer being held up to a tooth

    I don’t know who your husband’s dentist is, but I wouldn’t let him anywhere near your husband’s teeth. Not because of the price, but because of his attitude and incompetence. The price is about average, but you should know that Lumineers are not inherently cheaper than other brands of porcelain veneers.

    Telling you that you can’t get them cheaper is a lie. However, you don’t want to choose any brand of porcelain veneers based on what is the cheapest. The dentists who are significantly cheaper than everyone else are usually unskilled and will either give him a terrible smile makeover as a result, or they use subpar materials which won’t last.

    More than that, though, Lumineers are a bad choice for treating tetracycline stains. They are touted as no-prep veneers but, in order for the veneers to cover the dark tetracycline stains some tooth prep will be necessary. You’ll also want them to hug the teeth a bit.

    My recommendation if you still want to go the veneers route is to pay an expert cosmetic dentist to do them right. If you can’t afford that right now, just start with teeth whitening. Use the bleaching trays kind of whitening you get at dentists. If he’s persistent, he’ll see improvement. It won’t be the stunning smile he could get with porcelain veneers, but it will make a difference while you save up to get it done well.

    This blog is brought to you by an affordable dentist in Phoenix, Dr. Hillary Peck.

  • Pediatric Sealants Aren’t Working

    I don’t know what’s going on. My dentist insists my son’s sealants are on, but I don’t think they’re working. My son’s teeth look horrible. Will the sealants keep whitening from working? His teeth look so brown to me. He brushes. I’ve even started watching him to check, which really annoys him.

    Kathy

    Dear Kathy,

    Four children one behind another smiling

    I wanted to go over dental sealants with you because there seems to be a miscommunication somewhere either between you and your pediatric dentist, or possibly I’m not understanding what you’ve written. Sealants are meant to go on children’s back molars. Those have deep grooves in them which are nearly impossible for them to get clean. Because of that, we’ll place sealants on them which keep things from getting down in there. They don’t cover their front teeth in any way.

    The makeup of baby and adult teeth are slightly different. With baby teeth, the enamel over the dentin is not translucent which makes their teeth look brighter and whiter. Adult teeth are very translucent which can show more of the dentin underneath. That has a yellowish color. If your comparing the color of his adult teeth to his baby teeth, the newer teeth will look less attractive in comparison.

    When Children’s Teeth Look Dark

    Children’s bodies and dental health are as varied as their personalities. It sounds like you’ve been monitoring his brushing and he’s doing that fine. Have you noticed if he intakes and staining beverages or foods? While most children don’t drink coffee, I’m often surprised how many of them drink iced tea. That can make someone’s smile brown looking quickly.

    There are also certain spices which stain your teeth as well. If you’ve checked all these obvious culprits, the next thing to do is look into medication he may be (or have) taken. For instance, certain vitamins and antibiotics stain teeth. Tetracycline stains are some of the worst teeth stains to deal with. Not even teeth whitening makes much headway with them.

    Another possibility is that your son has thin enamel, which will reveal more of the dentin. There are steps that can be taken to help that. Have a good talk with your pediatric dentist to get to the bottom of his coloring. If he or she doesn’t know what to do, try a cosmetic dentist that enjoys treating children.

    This blog is brought to you by Drs. Kevin and Hillary Peck.