Have you ever wanted to try the new laser teeth whitening? Everyone goes on about how good white teeth look, the whiter the better. This is because we associate the color white with purity and cleanliness, and so we think that people with white teeth must have taken cared of their teeth and general health very well. Film and television celebrities always have white teeth, except if the role calls for something less than pristine teeth.
What can stain the teeth?
Baby teeth or milk teeth are often whiter than the permanent teeth that follow. This is due to the difference in the mineral composition of the enamel of the teeth. Additionally, lifestyle factors like food, beverages, and smoking can stain the teeth. Food and spices with strong colors like turmeric, chocolate, and others, as well as coffee, tea, red wine, and cigarettes can turn teeth yellowish or even brownish. Some medications like tetracycline can also stain the teeth from within, as a result of changes in the mineral structure.
How can the teeth be whitened?
Speaking of celebrities, we know that they can’t all possibly have such white teeth with just plain care. The celebrity’s choice for whiter teeth is none other than laser teeth whitening. In this process, a gel containing some oxidizing agent like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide is applied to the teeth. A mouthpiece keeps the gel from coming into contact with the sensitive gums, since those do not need bleaching. The gel can actually bleach the teeth on their own, but it will take several applications. In laser teeth whitening, the process is accelerated with concentrated light, thus the use of the laser. Light makes the chemical process of oxidation faster, and thus bleaching is made faster with the use of light. With the help of lasers, you can get whiter teeth in a flash, quite literally speaking.
Argon lasers are the tool of choice in this procedure, since they produce strong light without heat or ultraviolet emissions. This is ideal, since the gums are sensitive, and the wrong kind of light could cause inflammation and pain.
How long can it last?
Teeth whitened in this manner can stay white for several months, but this length of time can become shorter depending on the patient’s lifestyle. Laser teeth whitening is not the key to whiter teeth for everyone, though. Teeth which are stained internally, such as from medications, take longer to bleach or cannot be bleached in this manner at all. Also, if the tooth is a natural grayish color, this won’t work. There are nonetheless other whitening methods for these tough cases.
Teeth whitening procedures are a common practice in general dentistry, but they are best associated with cosmetic dentistry. Achieving a set of pearly whites is not easy, nor is it cheap, but the confidence you can get from it could be well worth it. Celebrities, though this is not to say all of them, get their teeth whitened because everyone looks at them all the time. If you want this kind of attention, or you simply just want whiter teeth, then ask your dentist about laser teeth whitening.
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