DEAR DR. GOTT:
I was born in the late 1960s and became very ill when I was three. Doctors prescribed me tetracycline. I think it was the antibiotic of choice back then.
My question to you is: could it cause adult teeth to yellow? Since my adult teeth first appeared, they have been yellow. They are strong, healthy and thanks to braces, straight but I hate opening my mouth because of the discoloration. I have had every bleaching system available done but none worked. I even had porcelain veneers but those too, have turned yellow. What can I do? Is tetracycline still being used today?
DEAR READER:
Tetracycline and similar antibiotics, including doxycycline (commonly used to treat Lyme disease) can cause permanent tooth discoloration (yellow, grey or brown) in children. It is seen more frequently in children who require long-term treatment but has occurred after short-term use as well. For this reason it is no longer routinely prescribed during the tooth-growth phase (last half of gestation up to about age 8).
Tetracycline is still in use today. It is primarily for adults but may be used in children who are allergic or otherwise sensitive to other drugs or have an infection that is resistant to other antibiotics.
Because I am not a dentist, I do not know what procedure would possibly restore the color of your teeth or even if one is available. The fact that your veneers also changed color leads to me believe that perhaps part of your tooth discoloration is due to diet. The reason tetracycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration is because it is partially absorbed by the developing teeth. Teeth already in place do not change color because they are already formed. The same should hold true for the veneers as well.
I suggest that you see an orthodontist who can give you more information and may be able to offer new whitening procedures.
About Dr. Gott