A laser teeth whitening system combines the use of a special whitening gel with a laser to increase the effectiveness of the whitening gel. The whitening gel is designed to be activated by the laser. LaserSmile is a laser whitening system.
The entire process takes about an hour, but may take up to two hours. First, the gums are covered with a protective gel to guard against irritation from the whitening gel. The whitening gel is applied to the teeth. Then, the light is focused on the teeth to increase the effectiveness of the whitening gel.
Some laser teeth whitening systems suggest three applications of the gel during the procedure. There is some disagreement about what procedures should be called laser teeth whitening procedures. Some people call Zoom! a laser whitening treatment, while others say that the Zoom! light is not a laser and therefore it is not a laser whitening treatment.
Many bleaching processes use a light to speed up the process, but a light and a laser are two separate things. The general idea is that if a regular light is used or can be used to achieve the same whitening result, it is not a laser teeth whitening system. If the light used is a laser and results from the whitening product cannot be attained with a regular light, then the treatment is called a laser teeth whitening treatment.
Whether or not a whitening treatment is technically a laser whitening treatment is not as important as its availability and whitening results. People should discuss the available whitening options and the expected results for each method with their dentists.
The results from laser teeth whitening is immediately noticeable. The results often last longer than other whitening procedures and require no aftercare. The achieved whiteness from the laser teeth whitening may last two years or longer.
The person may want to discuss any aftercare suggestions with the dentist. Though no aftercare is generally required by the manufacturer of laser teeth whitening systems, there are cases in which some aftercare may be beneficial. For example, if the person smokes or drinks coffee, the dentist may recommend the ongoing or occasional use of a whitening product between laser teeth whitening treatments to maintain whiteness.
