If you are looking for a teeth whitening treatment, ‘Laser teeth whitening” is worth it.  A dentist can perform this ‘in-office process’ to enlighten your stained tooth using laser appliances.

The laser used in the treatment procedure actually heats up the whitening chemicals in the bleaching gel. This gives you a faster result, in whitening your teeth. Keep reading the article, to know more about:

• How laser teeth whitening works
• Is there any side effects involved
• How it is different compared to other whitening treatments
• What is the cost

Teeth Whitening

There are several ways, one can opt for teeth whitening, some are professional or in-office, that are performed by a dentist. However, some treatments can be done at the home with over-the-counter medicine or products or by the DIY method. However, each obtainment helps you achieve the desired smile.

What Is Laser Teeth Whitening

Laser teeth whitening technology activate the peroxide gel used by the dentist to whiten your teeth. The peroxide gel is a  bleach concentration ranging from 25-40% in an in-office treatment. The laser heats these bleaching gels to activate, so it fastens the whitening and works efficiently on your tooth.

The laser appliance actually doesn’t do any bleaching, the technology fastens the whitening process.

How Is Laser Teeth Whitening Done

The process involves photochemical activation by laser into the bleaching agent that is responsible for whitening. During the procedure, this bleaching actually gets energy from the heat by laser, which makes them highly potential.

A dentist will use a professional grade bleach gel that has a high concentration of peroxide.

Let’s look at the process in a more detailed way:

Before applying the chemical or whitening paste on your tooth, there are so many steps, your doctor takes care of.

• The first step involved in the process is to clean your teeth
• After that, your dentist may apply vitamin E to your lips for safety and to avoid it getting dehydrated during the process.
• The next step is putting a retractor or rubber guard in your mouth to help keep it open till the treatment
• Now, to protect your gum, they are covered with gel or protective coating to avoid them getting in touch with chemicals. It can damage your gum or cause irritation or pain there.
• Finally, after that, the dentist will apply the whitening peroxide-based bleach gel to your teeth. After a few minutes, your dentist will take it off (whitening gel) and then reapply it. The process is repeated till the desired shade is achieved.
• After the application of gel, a laser is used to activate the gel. The laser then foams the gel to carry out the whitening process. The entire appointment may take roughly 1 hour or less than that.

Post-Treatment Care

After the full whitening treatment, your dentist will advise you of these common instructions for a few days, which are:

• Avoid acidic food.
• Avoid smoking and Alcohol.
• Use fluoride toothpaste to rinse your mouth several times a day.
• Avoid taking ice cream, pickle, yoghurt, chewing Gum or any other food that contains dyes.

Is There Any Side Effects Of Laser Whitening Treatment

The laser bleaching is intensive during the procedure, may cause a little discomfort. Many individuals find it difficult to bite hard and crunchy food items post-treatment. It is also common to have a hard time taking very hot or cold food and drinks

You may also experience some sensitivity during or post-treatment.

Discomfort depends on the laser types and the type and concentration of bleach used in the process. Certain kinds of lasers may heat up your tooth causing hypersensitivity for some time. Still, there is no need to worry a lot like your doctor takes care of it.

In a study, the finding says that 70 per cent of people did not experience any sensitivity whereas 30 per cent reports a mild sensitiveness during the treatment done with an argon laser. However, each of them was fine post-treatment.

A little discomfort and hypersensitivity are common with all kinds of teeth whitening treatments.

Laser Whitening Alternatives

There are so many options available to whiten your teeth other than laser teeth whitening, which include:

• Zoom teeth whitening
• DIY method or home bleaching kit
• Whitening strips

Let’s compares all the above following options with laser teeth whitening

Laser vs. Zoom teeth whitening

Zoom teeth whitening uses a whitening gel and a special LED light to whiten your teeth.

Type: Both the methods are processed in the office (in-office teeth whitening)

Duration: Laser whitening takes more time compared to zoom

Coverage: Zoom whitens all teeth the same whereas laser whitens each tooth, one at a time

Comfort: Laser treatment can be more comfortable

Effectiveness: Both can produce a dramatic result in removing stain on your teeth. The result may vary from patient to patient.

Result last for: Both can last up to 2 years.

Treatment duration: Roughly one hour for both.

Laser Whitening vs. Bleaching

The difference in both is that the former comes in the in-office treatment category. Home bleaching kits are less expensive that can be effective for some patients. The treatment can last for 1 year. Treatment may take 1-2 weeks for the noticeable results.

Pulp inflammation and gum irritation is possible consequences that may be faced by the patient if the treatment is not carried out with high levels of compliance.

Whitening strips

The following dental treatment is helpful for the slight whitening results. This takes 1-2 weeks to achieve the slight whitening result.

However, if not done well, it can lead to irritation, damage enamel or the desired result cannot be achieved.

Laser Teeth Whitening Cost

The Cost of Laser teeth whitening is around $400 to $1,800, depending on the location, the severity of the tooth discoloration and the dentist.

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