Tetracycline teeth are quite a frequent phenomenon. Tetracycline teeth are teeth that have changed their color because of medicines containing tetracycline. Tetracycline teeth usually appear when teeth are only forming and mineralizing. The thing is that tetracycline does not leave the body as most other chemical substances but remains in dentin and dental enamel. Tetracycline can be also accumulated in the fetuss bones in case a pregnant woman used medicines containing tetracycline. Different doses of tetracycline can lead to different consequences ranging from the change of color of dental enamel to anomalous development of dental enamel. Keep in mind that dimethyl chlorine tetracycline will change the color of dental enamel to a greater extent.

If a pregnant woman takes tetracycline her childs milt teeth will be of anomalous color. In fact, not all teeth will change their color - only one third of the surface of milk incisors.

If a child is older than 1,5 years taking tetracycline can affect secondary teeth. In most cases tetracycline affects the part of dental crown being formed at that period.

The intensity of coloration depends on the type of tetracycline medicine and the dose. Yellow tetracycline teeth become fluorescent under ultraviolet light. This way dentists diagnose the cause of coloration of teeth as it can be also caused by hemolytic disease of newborn.

Degrees of coloration and methods of treatment.

• Even weak coloration (grey, yellow or brown color). There are no stripes or intensively colored stains. This degree of coloration can be treated with the help of simple dental bleaching.
• Dark, intensive yellow or grey coloration without stripes. This can be treated with the help of seven seances of professional bleaching and six more weeks of regular bleaching at home. However, if the patient is not satisfied with the result of dental bleaching it is possible to use ceramic veneers.
• Vividly seen blue or grey coloration with horizontal stripes on dental enamel. In this case bleaching will be of no use. The only possible treatment is using ceramic veneers.