Both me and a friend have tetracycline stained teeth. She had gotten a smile makeover with crowns and veneers and her smile looked beautiful, natural and completely translucent. I decided to get my smile done too, but mine looks really fake. I think the best way to describe them is opaque. What went wrong? Did my dentist use the wrong materials?
Jenneatte M.- Pelican Bay, TX
Jenneatte,
Generally, the problem is not the material, but the dentist. It takes a real artistic dentist to make porcelain veneers and crowns to look both natural and translucent. It is especially difficult when dealing with tetracycline stains. An amateur cosmetic dentist tends to make them too translucent because of trying to cover the tetracycline stains, which are tricky.
However, the top 1-3% of cosmetic dentists can give you a gorgeous smile even with those difficult stains. What you need to do is find a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Anyone who reaches the level of accreditation will be able to give you the smile you desired.
This blog is brought to you by Boston Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Randall Burba.