Laser Teeth Whitening –
Can You Believe The Hype?

Laser teeth whitening is one of the methods currently touted by cosmetic dentists. The popularity of the method has been growing. In fact, the incidence of teeth whitening or bleaching has been increasing since the early 1990s. 

This is a process resulting annually in the whitening of thousands of teeth by members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). In fact, bleaching is one of the most common cosmetic dental procedures today.

From 1937 onwards, the search for white teeth and a brighter smile began to affect everyone. What began as a Hollywood phenomenon grew to encompass North America.

Americans wanted that Hollywood smile. Many could not afford the veneers created by Charles L. Pincus (1904-1986). They turned to strong chemical oxidizing agents. Used with heat, these did result in a whitening of the teeth. This was not the best teeth whitening method, nor the safest, but it did the job at the time.

Things improved in the 1970s when Dr. Bill Klusmer and Dr. Jerry Wagner discovered that the 10% carbamide peroxide solution they used to treat canker sores in their patients had a side effect. It produced whiter teeth.

Read: A guide to finding a dentist to whiten your teeth and keep them healthy

However, it was not until 1988 that formal laboratory studies and clinical trials focused on what is known as "vital-tooth bleaching." This was the work of Dr. Van B. Hayward and Dr. Harold Heymann.

Their work, combined with other efforts established the basic parameters of the best tooth whitening possible among which is laser whitening.

What Is Tooth Whitening?

Tooth whitening (power bleaching) is a cosmetic procedure. Its purpose is to make the teeth whiter than they are.

Several forms are currently available from which to choose. They include both home and in-office applications.

Some products are available only through a dentist.

Others are found in almost any drugstore or retail outlet. These are over-the-counter (OTC) items. Teeth whitening reviews on these substances vary widely on their effectiveness.

What both types have in common, however, are the active ingredients. Most products utilize either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Other possible substances include:

What Is Laser Tooth Whitening?

Laser whitening is a form of cosmetic dentistry. Unlike certain types of cosmetic dentist procedures, it must occur within a dentist office.

During a single visit, the dentist will help brighten up your smile. It all begins with the cleaning of the surface of your tooth or teeth.

After this, the dentist will apply a special gel. This is of higher concentration than other whitening gels. The bleaching agent is stronger. It is designed to work in conjunction with the laser (LED) light to penetrate deeper into the enamel of the teeth.

The total time for such a procedure is one hour. The overall effects are instantly noticeable.

Effectiveness And Safety Of Laser Teeth Whitening

Using the laser-gel combination to whiten teeth has proven to be very effective. This is particularly true when compared with many OTC procedures.

Potentially, laser whitening can improve the color of the teeth by up to eight shades. This, of course is dependent upon several factors. They include such factors as the original condition of the teeth and the specific shade of whiteness prior to bleaching.

In general, it is safe to say, the range of improvement runs from four to eight shades. Moreover, research tends to support the method as being both safe and easy.

Lightening Up

Unless you are the Mona Lisa, teeth, and how they look, are integral parts of your smile. Teeth whitening is a means of improving that all-important smile. Laser teeth whitening is a fast, popular and effective means of lightening up the world with a smile.

Home > Teeth Whitening > Laser Teeth Whitening