Can Striped Teeth Be Whitened?

Question

I have very thin, yellowish, horizontal stripes on my teeth. My mom tells me my teeth are striated like this because I was on antibiotics a lot as a kid. You can really only see the stripes when you look closely, but they make my teeth overall look less than dazzling. Is there any whitening treatment or other option that will address this problem?

Ryan Sellinger, DMD · Answer

Absolutely!
Those horizontal lines are typically from antibiotic use while your teeth were developing and as such are what is referred to as internal or inherent stains.  These stains do present a challenge for any of the whitening products.  However you may see some results with in-office whitening products such as Zoom whitening&hellip;.
If you are unable to acquire the results you desire from the in-office whitening, veneers will certainly get you the results you are looking for.  Veneers are thin, beautifully-shaped ceramic that is placed over your teeth and will mask the horizontal lines from the internal stains.  As an added benefit, the shape of your teeth can be enhanced, giving you that dazzling smile you are looking for.
Make sure you see a qualified dentist who can explain all of your treatment options.  There is no reason you have to look at those horizontal stripes on your teeth any longer.

Paul D. Kantor, DDS · Answer

Whitening may not totally remove these yellow antibiotic stains, but may lighten them enough overall that you find it to be a big improvement. It may take awhile to get these results. I would try whitening first, since it is very conservative, before considering veneers.

John Whittemore, DDS · Answer

My experience has been GREAT with whitening these teeth.  You will have to be patient as the color is deep within the teeth and my patients have whitened continuously for up to 6 months to get results.  One lady in particular who came to me ready for twenty veneers (a nice car!) was made quite happy with whitening instead! She saved a lot of money and got to avoid a lot of time in the dental chair, too!

Can Striped Teeth Be Whitened?

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Can Striped Teeth Be Whitened?

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