An Overview of Teeth Whitening with Lasers

2 December 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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If you are looking to change the look of your discolored or yellowish teeth, you should go for laser teeth whitening. Read on to learn about the procedure involved in laser teeth whitening and its advantages and disadvantages before you schedule an appointment with your dentist.

The Laser Teeth Whitening Procedure

First, your dentist will thoroughly clean and remove plaque from your teeth. Your dentist will then use a plastic or rubber guard to keep your mouth open. Next, they will use a barrier to protect your gums from the treatment solution. The barrier is in the form of a gel that hardens to form a rubber-like protective layer.

Next, your dentist will inject your front teeth with a syringe that contains a whitening solution (peroxide gel). They will then use a laser for activating the solution, causing it to foam as it eradicates the stains.

Laser treatments and whitening trays differ in the time it takes for the whitening process. With whitening trays, the peroxide solution releases oxygen particles that are absorbed in the enamel and eliminate stains in a couple of hours. Lasers speed up the release and absorption of oxygen particles by the enamel. With laser treatments you can expect faster results compared to whitening trays in about 30 minutes per session.

Advantages of Laser Teeth Whitening Procedures

  • If you are afraid of painful dental procedures, laser treatment is a viable option for you. This treatment is a non-invasive procedure and involves no pain or bleeding.
  • Laser whitening is capable of making your teeth 10 shades whiter.

Disadvantages of Laser Teeth Whitening Procedures

One major drawback of laser whitening procedure is the cost of treatment. This procedure is one of the most expensive whitening treatments with an annual maintenance of over $1,000 compared with an annual maintenance of $30 for whitening trays. 

The whitening treatment is also not permanent, meaning your teeth may get stained by tea, coffee, foods and cigarettes. If you stick to a healthy lifestyle and diet, you may only need one treatment per 6-12 months.

In some cases, laser whitening procedures have been associated with tooth sensitivity. Many believe that the heat from lasers can destroy a patient's pulp while some consider laser heat harmful to a patient's enamel. This reason laser treatments are considered harmful is because the peroxide formula used is above the 10% applied in other whitening procedures.

Learn more about your options by consulting a dental clinic.