Dr. Allyson Hurley's Blog

I had porcelain veneers placed on my two front teeth around 20 years ago because of white calcium deposits on my teeth.  Lately, it seems like my teeth are getting darker and darker. It’s most obviousit is in pictures I see of myself. It’s really starting to bother me. What are my options?

Thank you,
Keith from Salt Lake City

Dear Keith,
I wouldn’t know for sure what the problem is with your porcelain veneers and your two front teeth without seeing them, but maybe I can still be of help.

Porcelain is a very hard and stain-resistant material.  It is actually more stain resistant than enamel… as long as its glaze is intact. But enamel has a certain capacity for self-repair by drawing minerals from your saliva. Porcelain isn’t able to do that.  All of this makes me  wonder if the glazed surface of the porcelain has been damaged in some way.

The easiest way to damage porcelain veneers like this is for a dental hygienist to use power polishing equipment on them. That will destroy the glaze in one short appointment. They’ll look bright and clean when you’re through with your appointment, but within a couple of weeks afterward they’ll begin to attract stains and start to become noticeably darker.

If they are darkening because the surface has been damaged, it may be possible to restore the beauty of your smile with sophisticated polishing techniques using diamond grit polishers.  An issue like this is beyond the ability of a family dentist. You’ll want an experienced cosmetic dentist like myself to administer this procedure.

Dr. Hurley

When I was a baby I was given medicine that caused a gray discoloration to my teeth. My dentist applied bonding to fix this issue, but now it’s chipping and dulling. Is there any type of whitener that I can use? I just can’t afford veneers right now.

- Pam from Tulsa

Dear Pam,

This discoloration is from tetracycline. When children are given tetracycline around the age of 12, when the adult teeth are forming, it will build up in the dentin. This is what causes the gray or dark brown stains, known as tetracycline stains. And the deeper the tetracycline penetrates the teeth, the darker the stains become.

Be sure to carefully select the right dentist for treating these stains. You’ll want to look for a dentist who has cosmetic dentistry experience, and who knows how to mask tetracycline stains.

Porcelain veneers are the most effective method, but if this is not in your budget, then your existing dental bonding may work. Here are your two best options:

1. As long as the bonding was applied over your intact enamel, then your dentist can remove the bonding with sandpaper disks. Many states allow dental hygienists to perform this procedure, so you may want to check into this to help save you money. After the bonding has been removed, start using a home tooth whitening system. You’ll need to use the strongest bleaching gel that you can endure, so you will need to get this from your dentist. Then, apply the bleaching gel every night for at least two months. Your teeth won’t look as nice compared to having porcelain veneers but by whitening them you will improve their appearance. Make sure to avoid any over-the-counter whitening systems, because the gel won’t be strong enough to work on tetracycline stains.

In office treatments such as, Zoom whitening, KöR whitening, or laser tooth whitening are much stronger and quicker bleaching techniques, but they can be quite costly if money is tight for you. These whitening procedures require many visits to the dentist.

2. If  you find that some of your enamel has been removed before the bonding was applied, then you should set aside some money and have a cosmetic dentist place eight to ten porcelain veneers on your teeth. For now, get a dental professional to smooth out the existing bonding on your teeth. Porcelain veneers will cost you roughly 10% to twice the amount of having dental bonding done, but it will last much longer and look great the entire time. 

Best of luck to you!