Teeth whitening is one of the most sought after cosmetic procedures for improving physical appearance. Modern whitening systems involve a bleaching product for whitening teeth and a laser system for increasing the effectiveness of the bleach. If you are seeking after a highly effective teeth whitening procedure, read on to learn how laser teeth whitening works and the pros and cons associated with this procedure.  

How Does Laser Teeth Whitening Work?

The first step involved in a laser teeth whitening procedure is a thorough cleansing of the teeth to remove plaque. The dentist will then apply a peroxide gel to your teeth and leave it to settle. The peroxide gel is used to fight stains and whiten your teeth. The whitening gel can only be effective when it penetrates your tooth enamel with the aid of laser light. After a few minutes, the dentist will direct a laser beam at your teeth to activate the whitening effect of the gel. 

The whitening procedure takes one hour and in some cases a patient will not need any follow-up sessions. Patients with severe stains on their teeth may require more than one laser treatment session. Some dentists offer touch up kits to avoid the need for follow-up treatments and help patients touch up their teeth from home.

Advantages of Laser Teeth Whitening

Laser teeth whitening is non-invasive. Invasive procedures involve incisions and other surgical treatments that result in bleeding and severe pain. A laser teeth whitening treatment is not painful and this is the reason why patients do not get anesthetized when going through this procedure.

Some whitening procedures require one to wear strips, mouth guards or other mouth gear for extended periods and minimal results. Laser teeth whitening offers you instant results without the need to wear strips or mouth guards. 

Disadvantages of Laser Teeth Whitening

A patient who has undergone laser teeth whitening may experience sore gums as a side effect of the peroxide gel. However, this experience lasts for a short duration.

Although laser teeth whitening has shown amazing results for most of its users, there are a few cases where it is reported not to have worked and the patients resorted to veneers or crowns. Therefore, laser teeth whitening is not 100% effective and may fail to work depending on one's condition. 

In some cases, laser teeth whitening can cause tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity resulting from laser treatment lasts for a few days and is experienced by patients who suffered from sensitivity before they went through the procedure.