Teeth Whitening

Whitening upper teeth — **Illustration of whitening of upper jaw teeth (lower jaw teeth weren't whitened).** Upper teeth were whitened using custom-fit mouth tray with 10% carbamide peroxide. Photo was taken after one year, after whitening one night per month.

Tooth whitening is one of the most popular procedures in cosmetic dentistry. A survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, conducted in the year 2000, found that tooth whitening has increased by more than 300% in the past five years and, as compared to veneers, orthodontics and composite placement, is the most popular elective procedure with patients under 50 years of age. This rapidly growing public interest has stimulated the dental industry to develop and improve tooth-whitening treatments.
The main causes of teeth discoloration are: old age, usage of coloring food products (coffee, tea, cola, tobacco, wine), different teeth trauma, inheritance, usage of antibiotics (tetracycline), excess of fluorides, inflammation, outcomes of previous treatments. It is very important to determine an exact cause of teeth discoloration, because efficiency of teeth whitening depends on that.

LASERSMILE TEETH WHITENING – the most advanced natural teeth whitening system

"With recent developments in laser technology, advanced tooth whitening procedures have been introduced to dentists. The LaserSmile™ (Biolase Technology Inc.; San Clemente, CA) is a novel whitening system that combines advanced laser technology with a specialized photo-activated gel. The LaserSmile, introduced initially as a device for soft tissue surgery, is the first commercially available laser of its kind for tooth whitening procedures. Designed for in office use, this system is intended to provide effective whitening in a short treatment time with only minutes of laser exposure.” (M.J.Kimmel, D.D.S., D.Rosenberg, D.D.S. ir kt. The Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry • Summer 2003 Volume 19 • Number 2)

The LaserSmile™ uses the latest, most advanced state-of-the-art TCIA™ (Target Cromophore In-phase Accelerated-activation) whitening technology. Utilizing the laser`s unique monochromatic characteristics, along with a proprietary wavelength-specific photon activated gel, the LaserSmile™ system provides targeted-specific gentle, completely safe, fast and effective teeth whitening in just one visit!

Laser teeth whitening is safe

For aesthetic and conservative teeth whitening, the most suitable is laser teeth whitening. LaserSmile™ teeth whitening has many advantages and benefits over other whitening devices because of many reasons. That is one of the most effective teeth whitening method that is safe for teeth and gums.

The primary ingredient in the LaserSmile™ whitening gel – hydrogen peroxide has been used in teeth whitening for over 100 years and by dental community is recognized as a safe and effective ingredient. There is ~35 percent of hydrogen peroxide – one of the biggest concentrations compared with the other teeth whitening methods. Gel maximally absorbs monochromatic laser light, thus during laser teeth whitening procedure warmth that negatively affect teeth tissues isn’t released.
Because of additional laser energy, hydrogen peroxide breaking into free whitening radicals is accelerated, therefore application time of whitening gel is only 16-32 minutes; meanwhile when whitening teeth at home with trays, whitening material contacts with teeth ~10 nights. Because of rather short whitening gel application time, the risk of damaging teeth tissues is reduced.

According to results of research performed at University of Vienna (Austria) which were presented by Prof. D.Andreas Moritz at European Laser Symposium in November 2005, after laser teeth whitening, damage to teeth enamel were not observed by electronic microscope. Besides, research results showed that deep teeth whitening effect is achieved when teeth are whitened with laser – whitening gel activated by laser reaches not only enamel, but also dentine.

Description of the procedure

The LaserSmile™ whitening procedure is simple and hassle-free. After just one visit to your dentist`s office you walk out with the whitest, brightest smile in as little as 60 minutes.

1. The baseline shade for teeth is taken using the (VITA Lumin® Vacuum-Farbskala).
The order and measurement points of the brightness scale are as follows: B1-1, A1-2, B2-3, D2-4, A2-5, C1-6, C2-7, D4-8, A3-9, D3-10, B3-11, A3.5-12, B4-13, C3-14, A4-15, C4-16.

2. Gingival protection is placed to protect your gums.

3. LaserSmile gel is professionally applied.

4. Gel is laser-activated in 15-second intervals and repeated as necessary. Total exposure time is two to four minutes for all teeth (lighter shades required two minutes while darker shades required four minutes).

5. Gel is rinsed off and gum protection is removed.

6. Avoid dark staining foods and drinks for 48 hours after treatment.

Is this procedure for everyone?

Yes, basically everyone of the age of 18 can benefit from the teeth whitening procedure with laser, except people: allergic to the ingredients in the gel, pregnant, breast-feeding women, with systemic medications or diseases, serious oral pathology (extensive dental caries, periodontal disease), orthodontic appliances, gingival inflammation, cervical erosion, gingival recession with exposed root surfaces, extensive calculus, attrition, teeth with laminates, crowns, and large composites.

How white will my teeth get?

SLaserSmile™ has been able to achieve dramatic results in most patients. Your results may vary depending on thickness of enamel, your age and personal habits. Ask your dentist during teeth whitening consultation how white your teeth will get. According to results of clinical research, teeth get whiter by 6-9 shades according to VITA Lumin® Vacuum-Farbskala. VivaDens laser teeth whitening statistics shows that teeth of 75 percent of clients get whiter from 3 to 7 shades.

Remember that whitening procedures are generally not designed for caps, veneers or bonds.

How long does whitening result last?

Teeth will be always whiter than before. LaserSmile™ whitening results can last for several years assuming good hygiene and reasonable exposure to staining foods and beverages. However, actual results may vary due to individual differences in tooth structure and personal habits.

After the LaserSmile™ treatment, you should resume your normal dental hygiene routine - brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and flossing. Remember that smoking, consumption of tea, red wine and etc, if used often, will gradually reduce the whitening result of your teeth.

“LaserSmile™ Tooth-Whitening System: A Study by Two Independent Clinical Sites”

THE JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DENTISTRY • SUMMER 2003 VOLUME 19 • NUMBER 2
Martin J. Kimmel, D.D.S.; Dara Rosenberg, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., F.A.C.D; Arnold Valdez, D.D.S., Sandra Ledesma, R.D.A.

Representative Results. A 27-year-old patient with an initial shade of D3 resulted in a toothwhitening improvement of eight shades, with a final result of A1. A 35-year-old patient with an initial shade of A3 resulted in a toothwhitening improvement of nine+ shades, with a final result beyond B1 These cases represent typical whitening results reported in this study.

Statistic Evaluation. Clinical Site 1 included 9 females and 13 males for a total of 22 patients. The median age for this site was 47.5 years, corresponding to an age range from 15 to 80 years old. Clinical Site 2 included 10 females and 12 males for a total of 22 patients. The median age for this site was 42 years, corresponding to an age range from 18 to 65. Separate parallel statistical evaluations were prepared for each site and results are presented next.

The LaserSmile system demonstrated a higher average shade improvement (approximately 18%) in a shorter exposure time, with a total treatment time of 24-36 minutes, including the 2-4 minutes of laser exposure, compared with 60 minutes for the plasma arc and short arc metal halide lamp systems.

Conclusion. The results reported from both sites showed significant whitening effects, with a mean shade change of 9.02 in Site 1 and 8.92 in Site 2 respectively. Overall the participants were very satisfied with the whitening results and the ease and speed of the procedure. In conclusion, the LaserSmile is an effective tooth whitening system and the results of this in vivo study confirm the findings from the preliminary in vitro evaluation.

Clients' responses

n VivaDens laser teeth whitening with LaserSmile is performed from 2005. From 2011 we are using new generation laser Ezlase™, Biolase. Usually clients are very satisfied with laser teeth whitening results:

“I am very pleased with teeth whitening results! It seems that mouth is full of pearls. During teeth whitening procedure at VivaDens I felt attentiveness and carefulness from the dentist and her assistant. That gave me confidence and allowed me not to worry about anything. I can’t stop admiring my sparkling smile!” /A.V./

Home teeth whitening (tray whitening procedure)

That is a process during which dark enamel and dentin stains vanish. Whitening gel is placed in the special tray and worn over the night time.

Custom fit tray – is a transparent individually made celluloid matrix which closely cover each teeth. Each evening a client place a small amount of whitening gel contain hydrogen peroxide, places a tray over the teeth line and wears it over entire night. Home teeth whitening method is good, because client can repeat teeth whitening procedure on his own each three-four weeks. Optimal effect is achieved when client repeats procedure for ten nights.

Duration of home teeth whitening procedure – 10 nights. Price.