Laser Teeth Whitening
When Laser energy of a specific wavelength is applied to the teeth painted with a special chemical paste (35% carbamide peroxide and Beta-carotene), the organic part of the enamel (which is about 4% in composition) will be whitened. The inorganic part of the tooth enamel is quite white and translucent. It is the 4% of the organic material that pick up stains. That is why teeth stain as the person gets older. The teeth act just like a sponge, which absorbs the stain from the food over the years and get yellowed.

The advantages of Laser teeth-whitening over home bleaching include speed and convenience. It can be done in a one-hour appointment on the chair and the patient doesn't have to worry about wearing bulky trays at home. Also the chance of ingesting the bleaching chemical, however harmless it may seem, would be greatly reduced in the Laser teeth-whitening because it is professionally controlled and is limited to the teeth alone.

The disadvantages include higher cost (which is inevitable because it involves chair-time) and quicker relapse. However, since relapse is a matter of time because of the nature of the teeth, our office will provide a touch-up kit for our patients to do a single home bleaching touch up whenever feels necessary.

The other method of teeth-whitening involves wearing a special tray at home for a few days or a few nights. The same chemical, at a much lower concentration acts on the teeth and makes them whiter.

There has been teeth sensitivity associated with both methods of teeth whitening, especially Laser whitening. However, it is totally reversible and once the treatment stops, it will go away within a day.