Standardized method to produce tetracycline-stained human molar teeth in vitro.

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that exposure of human molar teeth to tetracycline (TCN) derivatives in vitro results in tooth discoloration resembling the clinical presentation of TCN staining.

Method And Materials: The effects of exposure of 20 extracted human molar teeth to distilled water, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, or minocycline were compared. The baseline color of each tooth was analyzed with a dental spectrophotometer.