Laser Dentistry

Professional in-office teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dental procedure in the world today. Unlike home-use whitening systems that incorporate low-dose bleaching agents, in-office whitening , also known as power bleaching or professional whitening, takes place under carefully monitored conditions which allow for the safe, controlled, pain-free use of a relatively high concentration of bleaching gel – yielding results that are visible immediately.

Stains That are Best Removed with In-Office Whitening

Chair side whitening removes organic stains or discolorations primarily caused by:

• Aging. Over time, the teeth darken with a yellow, brown, green or grey cast (which may be due to heredity and/or eating habits). Yellowed teeth tend to whiten most readily.
• Consumption of certain foods (notably coffee, red wine, sodas and dark-colored vegetables and fruits).
• Tobacco use.

Stains Resistant to In-Office Whitening

• Teeth with certain stains – typically those that are inorganic – do not respond well to in-office whitening. In fact, these teeth may look even darker after the surrounding teeth have been whitened.
• Trauma, which causes the dentin to darken.
• Tetracycline antibiotics ingested during tooth-formation. These drugs chemically bind with the crystalline structure of both the tooth’s enamel and underlying dentin.

Opalescence Boost

Praised for the viscosity of its bleaching gel – a sticky quality that is considered a major plus in tooth-bleaching – Opalescence Boost relies on chemistry for achieving its effects, and does not include the use of a special light activator. Its 38 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide gel contains a unique patented component called PF, a mix of potassium nitrate (reducing the risk of sensitivity associated with tooth whitening) and fluoride (the enamel-strengthener which reduces the risk of cavities).
Total chair time: One to two hours.

Laser dentistry is a precise and effective way to perform many dental procedures. The potential for laser dentistry to improve dental procedures rests in the dentist’s ability to control power output and the duration of exposure on the tissue (whether gum or tooth structure), allowing for treatment of a highly specific area of focus without damaging surrounding tissues.

Here are some of the major benefits associated with laser dentistry:

• Procedures performed using soft tissue dental lasers may not require sutures (stitches).
• Certain laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia.
• Laser dentistry minimizes bleeding because the high-energy light beam aids in the clotting (coagulation) of exposed blood vessels, thus inhibiting blood loss.
• Bacterial infections are minimized because the high-energy beam sterilizes the area being worked on.
• Damage to surrounding tissue is minimized.
• Wounds heal faster and tissues can be regenerated.

Application of Laser Dentistry

The application of lasers in dentistry opens the door for us to perform a wide variety of dental procedures they otherwise may not be capable of performing. Using lasers in dentistry have become adept at incorporating the state-of-the-art precision technology into a number of common and not-so-common procedures.