Services
: Aesthetics
: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Laser
Tooth Whitening
Is professional
Laser tooth whitening safe?
According to the lastest scientific findings it damages
neither teeth and gums nor existing fillings you may
have.
Is laser tooth whitening
suitable for everybody?
No. Always consult your dentist. Certain groups of
people such as infants, pregnant women and nursing mothers
must not be treated. Your dentist will advise you as
to whether laser tooth whitening is suitable for you.
Goto section on Considerations
for Tooth Whitening under our main tooth whitening
page.
How long does the
treatment take?
The laser tooth whitening should be finished within
one hour.
How long does professional
laser tooth whitening last?
Whitening is not permanent. People who expose their
teeth to foods and beverages that cause staining may
see the whiteness start to fade in as little as 1 month.
Those who avoid foods and beverages that stain may be
able to wait one year or longer. Smoking habits, age
and dental hygiene strongly influence the duration of
the bleaching effect.
The degree of whiteness will vary from individual to
individual depending on the condition of the teeth,
nature of the stain, the type of bleaching system used
and for how long.
Do I have to consult
my dentist in any case?
Yes. Your dentist can examine and work out the right
dosage and treatment schedule.
What kind of whitening
results can be expected with professional teeth whitening
treatments?
The vast majority of cases teeth whitening with peroxide-based
whiteners will produce results. The level of whitening
obtained from the professional bleaching treatments
is similar in nature to those results you could achieve
with a tray-based at-home teeth whitening system. The
big advantage of professional whitening treatments is
not the degree of lightening but the fact that you will
experience the whitening effect immediately.
How many professional
whitening treatments will a person need?
Sometimes dentists and/or the manufacturers of professional
teeth whitening systems advertise their products as
"one visit, one hour" type teeth whitening. One hour
of professional in-office teeth bleaching treatment
would be expected to provide a color change in a person's
teeth.
However, the other side of this discussion is that
there has been reports in dental literature that the
average number of professional whitening treatments
needed to "make the patients happy" was three. While
results were seen after a single visit, it typically
took between two to six in-office bleaching appointments
to reach "maximum whiteness".
When determining if professional teeth bleaching treatments
are the best whitening option for you, you should take
into consideration that more than one whitening treatment
might be needed. These extra appointments will require
further time commitment and cost on your part.
Why are some professional
teeth whitening systems followed up with an at-home
whitener as well?
The protocol for some professional teeth whitening
systems includes both in-office and at-home whitening
treatments. This is because:
1) Some of the immediate tooth color change achieved
by professional teeth whitening treatments may actually
be due to a dehydration effect.
2) It can often take between two and six in-office bleaching
treatments before a patient is satisfied with the degree
of whitening that has been achieved.
The dentist / whitening product manufacturer is relying
on the in-office bleaching treatment to provide a quick
and noticeable color change. The at-home teeth whitening
treatments the patient performs on their own helps to
compensate for the short-term color relapse due to the
loss of the tooth dehydration effect. Additionally,
the at-home treatments take the total whitening effect
possible for that person from using peroxide-based whiteners
to its endpoint.
Professional teeth whitening treatments are characteristically
performed on those teeth towards the front of a person's
mouth. An important step associated with the safety
of professional teeth whitening treatments is that the
dentist isolates the teeth being bleached so that the
whitener does not come into contact with the patient's
soft tissues (gums, cheeks, and lips). This isolation
is much more difficult to achieve with back teeth than
with front teeth and this is why back teeth are often
not treated during professional teeth whitening sessions.
There can be instances where a person's back teeth
(especially their upper molars) do show prominently
when they smile yet these teeth have not included in
the whitening process. If this is the case the overall
appearance of the patient's smile may not meet their
expectations. Following the in-office whitening process
with an at-home teeth whitening system can provide a
means by which to lighten the back teeth so their coloration
blends in and matches with the new shade of the anterior
teeth. You will need to ask your dentist if there is
an additional cost for the at-home teeth whitening products.
What is the difference
between an over-the counter whitening products and dentists'
supervised whitening products?
There are differences between the two, include:
- Strength of bleaching agent.
Over-the-counter home use products and dentist-supervised
at-home products usually contain a lower strength-bleaching
agent.
- Mouthpiece trays.
With dentist-supervised at-home bleaching products,
your dentist takes an impression of your teeth for
a custom-made mouthpiece tray to exactly fit your
teeth. This customization allows for maximum contact
between the whitening gel and the teeth. Over-the-counter
whitening products contain a free size mouthpiece
tray that may be ill-fitting. This can irritate the
gum and soft tissue. With in-office procedures, the
bleaching agent is applied directly to the teeth.
- Additional protective
measures. In the office setting, your dentist
will apply either a gel to the gum tissue prior to
treatment to protect your gums and oral cavity from
the effects of the bleaching. Over-the-counter products
don't provide these extra protective measures.
- Costs. Over-the-counter
bleaching systems are a less expensive option.
- Supervised vs. unsupervised
process. For a dentist supervised at-home
bleaching, an oral examination is performed and your
medical history is considered. This helps determine
how your teeth became discolored and if bleaching
is an appropriate course of treatment.
Source taken from VivaDent, http://www.animated-teeth.com
and http://www.webmd.com.
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