Tetracycline Stains and No Money

I’ve had tetracycline stains most of my life. When I went to my dentist about ten years ago in order to improve my smile. He told me that porcelain veneers were the only solution. I couldn’t afford them. I still can’t. I’m hoping there are other solutions now. Is there anything else I can do to improve my smile? I’m tired of being embarrassed by my teeth.

Caroline


Dear Caroline,

Image of teeth whitening trays
Professional teeth whitening trays

While porcelain veneers are the best option for smile makeovers, you are correct that they are quite pricey. The good news is that they are not your only option. While it will not make your teeth as absolutely stunning as they could get with veneers, it will improve them remarkably. My suggestion is that you have at-home teeth whitening done. Your dentist can make you custom fit trays. You’ll be able to smile without feeling embarrassed.

It is important to know up front that you will have to be persistent. This won’t happen overnight. But, if you keep wearing the whitening trays, you will eventually make a significant difference. And, it will be much more affordable than porcelain veneers, even after months of whitening.

One precaution. Do not try to use Zoom whitening or laser whitening. While both of those are initially stronger than the at-home whitening trays I suggest you use, it would take too many treatments to do what you need. These two options are more expensive and I do not believe you will find the extra cost worth the minimal amount of time you will save using them.

In the meantime, you can save up for porcelain veneers if you still want to get them eventually. The good news is that, while you need an expert cosmetic dentist to do porcelain veneers and you would not want to price shop for them, pretty much any dentist can do teeth whitening well. It is a basic procedure. So, in this case, you can price shop. Find an affordable dentist and wear the whitening trays as much as you can. You’ll find it the most effective if you wear them overnight.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.