Dec 09 2008
How Tetracycline Teeth Stains Come About
Today, we will continue on the topic of Tetracycline teeth stains. Tetracycline is a type of polyketide antibiotic produced to cure many different bacterial infections, especially for severe acne problems. Tetracycline based antibiotics is sold by various brands such as Sumycin, Terramycin, Tetracyn, Panmycin, etc and in various forms such as ointments, capsules, eye and ear drops. They have been in widespread usage since it was first developed in the 1950s.
Tetracyclines are bacteriostatic, meaning they do not kill off bacteria but simply stop bacteria from further growing such that the natural immunity defense system of our human body can deal with the bacteria infections. Unfortunately, the pioneers and inventors did not fully understand the impact tetracycline can have on the tooth enamel formation in young growing children. One of the tetracycline side effects is to cause nearly permanent and irreversible discolorations on the young teeth of children, which even extends to the rest of their adult lives.
The process of forming the teeth dentin in very young children and babies is called Dentinogenesis. This porous and slight yellowish dentin is a mineralized connective tissue made up of collagenous proteins. It is considerably softer compared to enamel, decays much more rapidly and is easily subjected to the formation of cavities. Hence after Dentinogenesis is completed, the following Amelogenesis begins. This latter process forms the protective enamel layer over the weaker tooth dentin material. Enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the human body, primarily consisting of 96% hydroxyapatite or crystalline calcium phosphate. These account for its strength but also made it brittle. That is why there is an underlying soft dentin layer to compensate and support the enamel layer. The color of the enamel is typically translucent, varying from whitish to somehow light grey or yellow. The appearance of our teeth and smile is largely determined by the color of the underneath dentin. Amelogenesis is a much slower process and can take up to many years to be completed. For example, some children have fully developed tooth enamel by the age of 8 while others only complete Amelogenesis by 10 years old. During this time period also known as the crown stage of tooth development, tetracycline staining can occur by disrupting the formation of enamel on the young tooth dentin, resulting in mottled enamel coatings. This causes brown discolored bands to develop on the unprotected dentin itself, and that is why tetracycline stains are known as intrinsic teeth stains and very difficult to remove.
Nowadays, medicine and antibotics containing tetracycline are contraindicated in both children under 8 years old as well as pregnant women. It has been found that tetracycline stainings can also occur in babies when their pregnant mothers consume such antibotics. If you do not want to give your children a hard time with teeth whitening treatments, do take note about the tetracycline side effects. Even reputable products such as Opalescence teeth gels have a hard time with such stains.
