Do you see your smile in the mirror and notice those dark stains on your teeth? Do they make you insecure about your teeth? Laser Teeth Whitening is the best answer for your discolored teeth.

Teeth whitening techniques are often used by a dentist who wants to get brighter and prettier smiles. It provides whiter teeth. People often term it as pearly whites. If you think that you have discoloration or stains on your teeth, then you might want to get a whitening treatment.

What Causes Stains on your Teeth?

Ever wonder, what may be the reason for your yellow-looking teeth? There are multiple factors that cause the teeth to lose their white sparkle, become dull and lose their bright shine.

The outermost layer i.e. the enamel is easily stained by certain foods. The plaque buildup on your teeth plays as an additional factor in the yellowing of your teeth.

This type of discoloration can easily be treated by regularly cleaning your teeth or by using home remedies of teeth whitening.

However, when the hard enamel of your teeth has been eroded and eaten away, this may also result in yellow teeth.

This is because when the hard part of the enamel erodes away the yellowish part i.e. the Dentin reveals. It is yellow in color and thus leaves your teeth looking yellow.

How do Teeth Become Yellow?

Our teeth may become yellow over time due to our diet and our lifestyle. The discoloration and yellowing of teeth can occur in both adults and children.

The stains that occur on our teeth are of two types:

  1. Extrinsic stains:

The stains that are on the outside of our teeth and along the enamel are called extrinsic stains. The outermost layer of our teeth is affected by these stains.

They can often be corrected by teeth whitening techniques.

Improper brushing, drinking a lot of coffee, red wine, smoking, or tea causes these types of stains. A little tip, anything that causes stains on your clothes can also cause stains on your teeth.

Various acidic foods often help in the erosion of the enamel and they make it easier for the high pigmentations to attach to the teeth. Extrinsic stains can be removed easily.

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  1. Intrinsic stains:

The stains within the tooth dentin are known as intrinsic stains. They are very difficult to remove.

The yellowing and discoloration of teeth in children are often caused by antibiotics and doxycycline.

Mothers who might have taken tetracycline in their fourth month of pregnancy often have babies who have yellow teeth

Chemotherapy treatments also lead to the yellowing of teeth.

To determine whether you have intrinsic or extrinsic stains, you need to have an appointment with the doctor.

Teeth whitening is a simple way to improve the appearance of the smile and reduce discoloration. White teeth make you look younger and at most make you more attractive.

There are endless options for teeth whitening today and one of the most popular ones is Laser Teeth Whitening

You can learn more about our Teeth Whitening Servies here.

Laser Teeth Whitening

This is a cosmetic and professional teeth whitening and dentistry procedure that adds the use of laser in your dentist’s clinic.

Most people confuse this treatment with regular whitening procedures performed in their clinic.

Your dentist will use the laser on your teeth to activate the chemicals in the whitening gel producing faster and more effective results. i.e. pearly whites.

Professional Teeth Whitening techniques that use light only produce a heating effect you can easily use in at-home devices. However, when whitening gels heats up the chemical containing peroxide chemicals, it works faster.

How does it Work?

Before your laser whitening treatments, your dentist will check how healthy your teeth are and look at your dental oral health conditions. Before the treatment, they will clean the stains and tartar is present on your teeth.

Mostly, it is a treatment that is abrasive in nature that wears down your tooth enamel in the process. There are basically two reasons why your dentist will do so.

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First, it gives your dentist some time to observe if you have any underlying or dormant issues like Tooth Cavities. And second, it scales off any dental plaque or tartar, using Tooth Scaling and Polishing Treatments, that can interfere with the laser whitening treatment.

Once your dentist cleans your teeth, they will give you protective eyewear to cover your eyes from the effects of peroxide gel.

Most often, dentists use hydrogen peroxide in laser teeth whitening procedures. To protect your gums, they will cover them with a rubber shield or protective gel.

After the application of protective gear, your dentist will apply hydrogen peroxide to your teeth. After that, they apply a laser on your teeth step by step.

As a result, it speeds up the whitening process by assisting the active ingredients in the gel in breaking down particles that cause staining.

During the procedure, your dentist may apply more bleach to specific teeth to ensure that your whole set whitens faster and quickly.

After Care

After your dentist completes the procedure, you can immediately leave their office. But before you leave, your dentist will suggest some steps. These are:

You might feel teeth and gum sensitivity for a day or so but it subsides with time.

Avoid drinking and eating food that causes stains on your teeth for at least 24 hours after the treatment.

You should avoid drinking tea, coffee, and other beverages for at least 24 hours after the treatment.

Laser Teeth Whitening VS At-Home Teeth Whitening

Laser teeth whitening differs in several ways as compared to traditional teeth whitening treatment that uses over-the0counter or professional products.

It uses a laser and a high concentration of the whitening gel that can cause chemical burns on the soft tissues of the mouth. Therefore, professional oversight is important.

A variety of different lasers can be used by your dentist along with the concentration of whitening gels. This concentration is different in at-home products which contain low concentrations of gels.

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Is Laser Teeth Whitening Safe?

There are some side effects of laser teeth whitening.

Your teeth might feel sensitive after the treatment due to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the whitening gel which is the common side effect of laser. Despite the precautions, some gel might make its way to your gums causing irritation.

However, this sensitivity and irritation subside with time and precautions after the treatment.

Laser teeth whitening is safe for the teeth as compared to other whitening methods. It targets the pore particles; you get less abrasive enamel wear compared to other methods like activated charcoal.

So yes! This treatment is safe.

Advantages VS. Disadvantages

While searching for laser teeth whitening treatment, always look for a broad certified dentist who has extensive training and experience in the field.

Some of the advantages are as follows:

You see visible and noticeable results within a single laser teeth whitening session.

Your dentist will perform the procedure in the office, therefore; you do not need to use any material or techniques at home.

The results are faster than those done by at-home kits.

Having your dentist perform the procedure reduces the risk of complications like soft tissue damage or burns to the nerves inside your teeth.

Laser teeth whitening has certain disadvantages. These are:

It is one of the most expensive forms of teeth whitening available.

The results do not last forever. You need to repeat the process if you frequently drink tea, coffee, or other beverages that produce stains on your teeth.

Alternatives to Laser Teeth Whitening

If you do not want to invest in laser teeth whitening, there are other Teeth Whitening options available. These are:

Zoom Teeth Whitening: Zoom teeth whitening is a bleaching process that your dentist will do in their office to remove stains of tea, coffee, or other discoloration from your teeth.

It uses 25% hydrogen peroxide solution to lighten the color of your teeth. As this hydrogen peroxide is broken down, oxygen enters the enamel and dentin to bleach the stained substances, leaving the structure of the tooth unchanged.

Whitening toothpaste: A number of whitening toothpaste are available in the market that contains gentle polishing or chemical agents.

Such toothpaste can help remove surface stains only and so not contain bleach, however, over the counter and professional whitening products contain carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide that lighten the color of the teeth.

Whitening toothpaste lightens the tooth color by one shade; however, the whitening procedure done by the dentist lightens the color by 3 to 8 shades.

 

OTC whitening strips and gels: These gels are clear and contain a peroxide base that can be applied with a brush directly to the surface of the teeth.

Depending on the strength of the peroxide, the instructions vary.

To use this product, you need to follow the instructions carefully. The results may take a few days and sustain for about four months.

Whitening rinses: These are like mouthwashes and are one of the newest products on the market.

They help to reduce dental plaque and gum diseases. But they contain hydrogen peroxide which whitens the teeth.

The instructions include swishing it around your mouth for 60 seconds twice a day before brushing your teeth. Some studies suggest that they might not be effective as strips because rinses are used for a fraction of two minutes while strips are used for thirty minutes.

Home Remedies

Some studies suggest that by using certain home remedies, you can whiten your teeth at home. Some of these remedies are as follows:

Baking soda: Baking soda has whitening properties and is one of the most popular ingredients in commercial toothpaste.

It has mild abrasive properties which help to scrub away stains. It also contains an alkaline environment that prevents bacteria from growing in the mouth.

Hydrogen peroxide: It is a natural bleaching agent and kills bacteria in the mouth.

Many commercial products contain both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

The most common concentration of hydrogen peroxide is a 3% solution and can be easily diluted with the mixing of water.

Special care should be taken while using hydrogen peroxide as its overuse can erode your tooth enamel.

Oil pulling: It has been used for many years to improve oral hygiene and for removing toxins from the mouth.

Sunflower, sesame, or coconut oil can be used for this process. A few studies suggest that it reduces in the mouth, along with plaque and gingivitis, if done regularly.

The Takeaway

After two weeks of laser teeth whitening treatment, most people often observe white and shiny teeth. Most of the time, people describe them as pearly whites.  As recommended by most doctors, the best way to keep your teeth as white as they can be from surface stains is by mixing baking soda powder and liquid hydrogen peroxide.

Be sure to mix it to the consistency of your toothpaste. It will remove the surface stains from your teeth.

Laser teeth whitening is not recommended if you have any dental or oral health concerns. However, if you have only extrinsic stains then this is one of the most effective and faster treatments to whiten your teeth.