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.

I couldn’t tell the difference in the early stages of the transition. About a year later, however, the change was very apparent. At this point I was put on minocycline twice a day and have taken it for over six years.

My skin has always been very oily and I have inordinate amounts of seborrheic keratoses, some too big to freeze off. Now, if I stop my minocycline for three weeks, what looks like pus drips off my nose. Once I start the medication again, it takes another four months to get back to normal.

Is there any way off this treadmill? Like me, it’s old.

DEAR READER:
Rosacea is an increasingly common, chronic condition with about 14 million sufferers. It primarily affects the face but can also appear on the chest, scalp, ears and neck. It is generally characterized by redness on the checks, nose, chin or forehead. There are four types of rosacea, subtype 1 (flushing and persistent redness), subtype 2 (persistent redness with red bumps and pus-filled pimples), subtype 3 (thickened skin usually with enlargement of the nose) and subtype 4 (affects the eye, usually dry eye, tearing/burning, swollen eyelids, recurrent styes and more).

Rosacea has no known cause but it is believed that those with fair skin who blush/flush easily are at higher risk than others. It occurs in women more frequently. However, affected men tend to have severe or advanced cases. There is no cure but, with early treatment, it can be controlled.

Treatment generally starts with oral antibiotics and topical creams. These usually bring the condition under immediate control and is then maintained with long-term use of topical therapy. Some individuals may receive treatment with intense pulsed lights or lasers. Some may have visible blood vessels removed, nasal deformities from excess tissue corrected or doctors may attempt to reduce extensive redness.

If you would like more information, I recommend you visit the National Rosacea Society’s website, www.rosacea.org.

You also mentioned seborrheic keratoses. These are benign, non-invasive skin growths that usually develop around midlife or after. They generally appear as sharply margined, raised, yellow/light tan to black waxy or scaly oval lesions on the face, chest, shoulders and back. Because they are benign and harmless, you do not need to worry about them. They can be a nuisance if they are irritated or rubbed by clothing or are cosmetically unsightly. Your dermatologist may be able to remove or reduce the appearance of the larger lesions with other procedures, such as curettage (scraping) or electrocautery if they truly bother you. In some instances, two of the procedures will be used in conjunction (usually cryosurgery and curettage or electrocautery and curettage). Seborrheic keratoses have no known cause but may be related to sun exposure. Normally only one or two will appear over many years. See your dermatologist if the lesions start to bleed or if they appear rapidly because this may be a sign of skin cancer.

A dermatologist is your best bet. Ask him or her about possible treatment options and express your concerns about the current treatments you are receiving for your skin disorders. You may choose to go to another dermatologist for a second opinion. Your dermatologist appears to be handling your care very well. Good luck and let me know how this turns out.