Laser

An effective in-office cosmetic dentistry technique is laser whitening, a procedure that combines the potency of a translucent gel medium with the high-powered light emitted by a laser beam. To begin the process, the cosmetic dentist will meticulously clean the patients teeth and then place a rubber dam or wax on the gums (depending on the dentist's preference) to protect the patient from bleaching agents. Once a peroxide-based gel is applied to the patient's teeth, a blue-beamed argon laser is focused on each lubricated tooth for approximately 20 seconds. After darkly stained areas absorb the blue argon light, a red laser is used by the dentist. This second heat-producing infrared beam further whitens and more deeply penetrates the teeth. The three-fold whitening process typically lasts two to three hours, after which, a protective coating is brushed onto the teeth rendered porous by the intense bleaching technique.

Because of this concentrated intensity, laser light bleaching offers faster results than does regular gel bleaching to eliminate stains caused by cigarette smoke, medication, caffeine or genetics. Crystals in the gel medium are activated by the emitted light from the laser and consequently are readily absorbed into the teeth enamel. Although costs for laser techniques vary, the price is usually over 1000.