Tag Archives: natural looking porcelain veneers

covering tetracycline stains

I have pretty bad tetracycline stains, as did my sister. She had porcelain veneers put on them a number of years ago. While they look better than my teeth, they do not look natural. They told her they had to use an opaquer in order to get them to cover the stains. I was hoping in the last few years or so they’ve made some advancements so that if I had porcelain veneers done, they would look more natural. What are my chances?

Avery

Dear Avery,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

When it comes to making natural-looking porcelain veneers, the need isn’t for better advancements; rather, it’s for better cosmetic dentists.

The technology has been around for years, but very few cosmetic dentists have the training and skill required to pull it off. To be fair, tetracycline stains are among the most challenging a dentist can face.

The porcelain veneers have to be opaque enough to cover the stains, yet translucent enough to reflect light and look normal. I would say only the top 1% of dentists in the country are capable of pulling this off.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

If you want the best cosmetic dentist, and you will need that for tetracycline stains, you will want an AACD accredited dentist.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry realized, because cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty, patients would have a hard time distinguishing who was actually skilled and who just dabbled.

To reach accreditation, dentist have to pass stringent oral and written exams as well as provide a large number of cases which demonstrate they have artistry in their work as well.

Those who reach this level are in the top 1-2% of dentists in the country. You can locate them at aacd.com. Just make sure you check you want an accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.