Question:
I once tried to whiten my teeth with a custom made plastic thing that
fit over my teeth, which held gel that I wore at night. After I
increased the dosage of the gel it hurt like hell so I quit using it.
Meanwhile a friend of mine just had his whitened using some new laser
method, all in one quick sitting.
I would rather get it done in one quick sitting.
Is this safe? Effective? Does it last?
Answer:
Compared to traditional tray bleaching, laser whitening is:
Quicker
More convenient
More expensive
More likely to cause severe (if transient) dentinal hypersensitivity.
Effectiveness seems to be about the same as bleach whitening, from what
I've seen and heard.
By "severe dentinal hypersensitivity" do you mean Pain?
If it would be MORE painful than the gel I used at night, I want no
part of it. It was like having a toothache in most of my mouth, for
days!
It is the same active ingredient (carbamyl peroxide) activated by light
for accelerated action. If you had severe pain last time, I would
discourage laser whitening for you on that basis alone.
The only thing that was left out, is that most laser whitening
treatments include take home trays to maintain the results.
If you're going to use trays anyway, and the results at 6 months
are identical, why pay through the nose for laser whitening?
CRA did a study on bleaching and found that the laser (and other
special lights) had no effect on the bleaching process except for
a very small increase in the temperature of the bleach.
IOW's, an in office power bleach is great if you are getting
married tomorrow and forgot about your teeth. If you're
getting married in a couple of weeks, save some money for the
honeymoon.
Let me clarify - I'm not that averse to some temporary pain in order
to get my teeth whitened. BUT, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the
pain I suffered with the gel and appliance method was severe and long
lasting.
it's not very uncommon that some people develop sensitivity when
they bleach their teeth. If I am not mistaken, about 60-70% may
develop a sensitivity. Of them, a small fraction may experience a
severe form. The pain is transient and there are ways we can try to
overcome this problem.
But I suggest letting a dentist have a check up on your teeth to
exclude obvious causes for sensitivity before you proceed with
whitening.
In my experience, the amount of sensitivity in home-tray bleaching is
often related to two factors: the strength of the whitening gel, and
the length of time it is applied to the teeth.
Many patients get less sensitivity by using a stronger gel, but for a
much shorter time. Other patients do well with a weaker gel, worn up
to an hour, or even two hours, at a time.
How long did you use the bleach for each wearing? What strength of gel
was used -- 10%, 15%, or 20%?
