Depending on the severity of discoloration, there are several treatment options including vital and nonvital bleaching, micro abrasion, composite and porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns and sometimes a combination of them.

All-ceramic restorations are more translucent and thus have more aesthetic properties than restorations with metal substrates and can be used in aesthetic areas properly.  It has been proven that porcelain veneers are very efficient for treating discolored teeth, and they last for a long time if they bond properly to the tooth structure. Although limiting the preparation to enamel leads to more efficient bonding, the porcelain restoration should be also thick enough to mask the discoloration.

The minimum thickness of a multilayer porcelain restoration (IPS e.max Press) required for masking severe tooth discoloration is 0.8 mm including a 0.4 mm core and 0.4 mm veneer.  However, in treating a deeply discolored tooth, a full coverage crown might be the ultimate option. Therefore, determining the minimum thickness of a porcelain restoration required for masking heavily discolored teeth can be very useful in clinical treatments.