I want to get my tetracycline stains fixed, but don’t have a lot of money. I’m looking for an inexpensive way to take care of this. I’ve heard porcelain veneers are the way to go with this. Is there a dental school that will do it more cheaply using interns or something?
Kevin
Dear Kevin,
I am very glad you wrote. I am going to save you from a serious disaster. Porcelain veneers are an advanced cosmetic procedure. Tetracycline stains are the most challenging of the porcelain veneers’ cases. There are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories and I fear if you go forward with the “cheap” solution plan that you’ll end up as one of them.
This is one of those times that you will want to save up for a top of the line cosmetic dentist, preferably one who is AACD accredited. In the meantime, that does not mean that you can’t do anything in the meantime. My suggestion is that you get your dentist to provide you with teeth whitening trays, the take home kind, and professional strength whitening gel.
If you are persistent, you can make a real difference in the appearance of your teeth. Don’t get Zoom Whitening. Even though it is strong, you would need too many sessions to make it affordable. Just use the whitening trays. It’s ideal if you can wear the gel overnight. If you can’t, don’t worry. Just wear it for as long as you can each day.
That will give you some improvement while you save up for a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.