What is teeth whitening with a laser beam, when is the procedure indicated and contraindicated? Stages of the session, the results of whitening. Real patient reviews.
Laser teeth whitening is a clinical procedure for lightening the dentition using oxygen gel and a laser beam. During the session, plaque is oxidized, pigments are broken down and removed from the tooth tissue. Laser whitening is painless and takes only half an hour.
What is Laser Teeth Whitening?
In the photo laser teeth whitening
Laser teeth whitening in the clinic is carried out using a gel containing herbal ingredients or oxygen. The agent is applied to the tooth enamel, then it is exposed to a laser beam. The latter acts as a catalyst.
The components of the gel penetrate deep into the tissues of the tooth, reaching the dentin, causing oxidation and cleavage of pigments. At the same time, the laser does not destroy the enamel, but strengthens it and disinfects it.
Laser whitening has many advantages:
- Efficiency … The correct conduct of the procedure ensures a lasting result for 7 years, subject to the recommendations of dentists. In 15-20 minutes it is possible to achieve teeth whitening by 8-12 tones. The reason for the yellowness or gray coating does not matter.
- Security … Despite the thermal effect of the laser beam, the pulp does not overheat. The enamel is not destroyed, but, on the contrary, is strengthened. The laser as an antiseptic kills bacteria that provoke caries. There are no painful sensations during the procedure. Sometimes patients feel a slight tingling sensation. After the session, the high sensitivity of the enamel is excluded, which is typical for the chemical method.
- The uniqueness of the method … In the course of exposure to teeth, the laser and preparations do not destroy the gums and enamel.
- Bactericidal … The laser removes microbes from the surface of teeth and gums, prevents the development of caries.
- Long-lasting results in a short time … To get perfectly white teeth, 1-2 procedures are enough.
The disadvantage of laser teeth whitening is often called the high price. The procedure is not cheap, although the results last for a long time. The cost of laser teeth whitening in Moscow is 15,000 rubles per session. The concentration of the gel and the wavelength of the diode laser are determined by the severity of the problem.
How much does laser teeth whitening cost in a particular region, patients have to find out on the websites of local dental clinics. In Perm, the average price for a service is 10,000 rubles, while in Krasnodar the price for laser teeth whitening in local clinics is 18-30 thousand rubles.
Indications for laser teeth whitening
Dark enamel and the appearance of age spots on it are the main reason to recommend a whitening procedure. A number of factors affect the condition of the teeth:
- Bad habits (smoking, alcohol) … Decomposition products, toxins settle on the enamel, forming a dense coating. For this reason, smokers and people who are fond of alcoholic beverages, teeth have a rich yellowish tint, suffer from caries. Among the common diseases they have periodontal disease, stomatitis, which require treatment before bleaching.
- The use of antibiotics (in particular the tetracycline series) … Antibacterial agents disrupt the microflora of the digestive system and the oral cavity. Plaque bacteria multiply in the mouth. Harmful substances present in medicines also affect the color of the enamel.
- Dental treatment with special materials or pulp removal … Orthodontic products in dentistry change the color of the tooth enamel. When the pulp is removed, hemorrhage occurs, and the decay products form a yellowish tint to the tooth.
- Diet containing foods with dyes … Regular contact of the enamel with dyes affects the color of the teeth. Carbonated drinks, sweets, sauces contain many harmful substances that affect the state of the enamel.
- Supersaturation of drinking water with fluorine … Excessive mineralization is harmful to the teeth. Fluoride provokes the formation of a yellow plaque. Bleaching will help temporarily deal with the problem.
- Advanced age … The aging process affects the entire body and affects the condition of the teeth. Over time, the enamel becomes thinner and turns yellow, even if a person leads a correct lifestyle.
- Incorrect metabolism, diseases of internal organs … If there are general health problems, the condition of the teeth deteriorates. Whitening will not solve the underlying problem, but it will improve the appearance of the smile area.
- Work at a harmful enterprise … Inhalation of vapors of lead, bromine, mercury contributes to the formation of plaque.
Note! The yellowness of the teeth is congenital. Then more procedures are required to achieve noticeable lightening.
Contraindications to laser teeth whitening
Laser teeth whitening has serious contraindications, although the duration of the procedure is only 20-30 minutes. The session is not performed when the patient is diagnosed with the following conditions or diseases:
- High sensitivity of enamel, cracks on its surface … During the procedure, gels with hydrogen peroxide are used, which can worsen the condition of the teeth. Since whitening anesthesia is contraindicated, the patient may experience severe pain.
- Bleeding and inflammation of the gums … The symptom indicates the presence of diseases of the oral cavity. Before the procedure, the gums should be treated and strengthened.
- Caries … It makes no sense to whiten bad teeth, as after a short time they will turn yellow or decay. Before the session, the dentist carries out the treatment of the oral cavity, and only then proceeds to whitening.
- Removable structures or seals in large quantities … Whitening reduces their strength, which negatively affects the condition of the tooth.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding … During this period, any intervention in the body is undesirable, including in the field of dentistry.
- Allergy to gel ingredients … If the drug contains substances to which the patient is allergic, the patient's condition may deteriorate sharply during the procedure.
- Children and adolescents with unformed tooth enamel … Exposure to chemical compounds is contraindicated.
In other cases, the doctor decides on the advisability of whitening after examining the oral cavity.
How is laser teeth whitening done?
The whitening procedure does not require special preparation from the patient, but before applying the gel, the doctor must put his teeth in order:
- Seal carious cavities … After bleaching, diseased teeth will continue to deteriorate from the inside and change color. Since peroxide and preparations based on it are used during the session, accidental ingress of funds into the tooth tissue can cause severe pain.
- Cure gum inflammation and bleeding … Inflammation of the soft tissues of the mouth indicates the presence of pathogenic bacteria. After bleaching, they will continue to erode teeth and affect not only the shade of the enamel, but also the health of the teeth in general.
- Brush teeth from stones and deposits … Tartar is a consequence of hardening and plaque accumulation. Whitening is carried out after professional cleaning of teeth with ultrasound, which allows you to brighten the enamel by 1-2 tones.
When the oral cavity is prepared, the dentist begins the whitening. The procedure consists of the following stages:
- Isolation of the gums and mucous membrane … To prevent the laser beam from touching the soft tissues, they are separated with a rubber dam, polymers, adhesive wax, and retractors (tools for spreading) the cheeks and tongue. The creation of barriers protects the oral cavity from the effects of whitening agents, limits the surgical field and protects against laser radiation. If the tightness is broken and the gel with hydrogen gets under the barrier, the patient feels a burning sensation. The rest of the procedure does not cause discomfort. The use of anesthesia is contraindicated: the doctor must know the patient's reaction. Glasses with filters are put on the patient's eyes.
- Applying a whitening agent … The gel or solution is squeezed onto the teeth from syringes or ready-made tubes, applied with a brush, an applicator, or a gauze bandage soaked in peroxide is applied. The thickness of the whitening gel on the teeth is at least 2-5 mm. If reapplication is required, wash off the previous coat and reapply.
- Solution activation by laser beam … Each tooth is treated with a diode laser for 1-5 minutes. There are installations that allow you to illuminate the entire dentition at once. In this case, one exposure takes 8-20 minutes.
- Removal of whitening elements … After the procedure, the oral cavity is washed with water. In some cases, the surface of the dentition is ground and polished, treated with drugs to reduce the sensitivity of the enamel.
Since the procedure is painless, you can immediately go about your business. Sometimes within 2-3 hours a slight tingling sensation is felt with increased sensitivity of the enamel. Gradually, the sensation goes away.
The dentist advises the patient on nutrition and brushing to maintain the whitening results. It is not recommended to consume tea or coffee, red wine, smoke, include foods with coloring elements in the diet. You will have to brush your teeth after every meal.
To maintain the desired shade of enamel, the patient needs to undergo professional cleaning of teeth from plaque and tartar at least once every six months, as well as a scheduled examination by a dentist in order to prevent caries.
