O’Fallon Cosmetic Dentist Describes Dental Veneers’ Uses for Teeth With Tetracycline or Fluorosis Stains
Sarah came to our O’Fallon cosmetic dentist in preparation for her wedding. For years Sarah had lived with a smile she didn’t love. No matter what whitening treatment she tried, she just wasn’t able to make her teeth as white and clean-looking as she wanted them. After she got engaged, Sarah started to dread the idea of immortalizing her less-than-perfect smile in her wedding pictures. She wanted her wedding pictures to be beautiful reminders of one of the most important days of her life, not records of her damaged smile.
When Sarah came to us she didn’t think there was anything she could do to improve her teeth. Sarah suffered from dental fluorosis—her teeth had stains and also surface irregularities and grooves in the dental enamel. Dental fluorosis is caused when children consume too much fluoride as their adult teeth are still developing, so Sarah had lived with flawed teeth since her teenage years.
Although dental fluorosis is bothersome, it isn’t totally unique. Other conditions, like tetracycline staining, damage developing adult teeth. Children who use the antibiotic tetracycline may develop adult teeth that have dark stains or streaks calcified in them. Because these stains are embedded within the teeth, they are, unfortunately, resistant to traditional bleaching methods.
Conditions like dental fluorosis and tetracycline staining can be difficult for patients to deal with. Sarah had gone her whole life without loving her smiles, so when it was time for her to get married she finally decided that enough was enough.
Sarah decided to pursue dental veneers to give her smile the white, shiny, smooth appearance she wanted. Because dental veneers fit over existing teeth, they can totally transform the appearance of a damaged smile with just one cosmetic treatment.
Sarah loves her new smile. With dental veneers, she felt confident and beautiful on her wedding day—and she loves her wedding pictures! If you can relate to Sarah’s story, take the time to explore dental veneers as a cosmetic option. Dental veneers can whiten the appearance of dental enamel, smooth out surface irregularities, and alter the shape of disproportioned teeth. If you’d like to talk to someone in our O’Fallon cosmetic dental office, give us a call. We’re here to help you discover your ideal smile!