External bleaching of tetracycline stained teeth in dogs

Intrinsic tetracycline stains were induced in the primary dentitions of puppies. Etching with phosphoric acid or bleaching with hydrogen peroxide, or both, were used in an attempt to lighten the shades of the resulting tetracycline stained teeth. The teeth were treated twice and observed for as long as four weeks after the various treatments. Statistical analysis showed that, in comparison to the control teeth, the various treatments effectively lightened the shades of the stained teeth, but the effects did not persist; the treated teeth returned to their original shades as early as one week following treatment.