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Everywhere you look there seems to be someone new offering teeth whitening. Prices and methods vary greatly yet all

try to claim top-quality results. So how does the consumer make sense of all the claims? To help you cut through the marketing spin we have summarised the differences between the major methods of teeth whitening and the risks and benefits of each. The methods are:

• Laser Teeth Whitening At A Dental Surgery• Laser-Like Light Whitening At A Dental

Surgery• Broadband Light-Based Teeth Whitening At A

Dental Surgery• Broadband Light-Based Teeth Whitening

By Non-Dental Service Providers, eg. Spa or Beauty Therapist

• Home Teeth Whitening Trays

Before undertaking any form of teeth whitening you should have your teeth checked by a dentist. This is important because if you have minor cracks in your teeth where whitening compounds can enter the tooth you can experience pain. A teeth whitening dentist will ensure your teeth are properly checked and prepared prior to treatment to ensure a safe and smooth treatment process.

Laser Teeth Whitening At A Dental SurgeryLaser teeth whitening with a Smartbleach “KTP” laser is the gold standard in long-lasting teeth whitening. The laser can treat stains that other forms of teeth whitening can’t treat because the laser can directly target the stain molecules within the tooth structure. It can

even treat single teeth if there is one tooth that is darker. The KTP laser does not heat the pulp of the tooth, which increases the safety of the procedure and reduces sensitivity.

This form of teeth whitening is able to use a specially formulated non-acidic form of hydrogen peroxide. The laser energy increases the reactivity of the hydrogen peroxide to create a stronger whitening effect. The non-acidic gel does not etch the enamel of the tooth or dehydrate the tooth to create the whitening effect.

The advantage of Smartbleach KTP laser teeth whitening is that there is no bounce back – the result you achieve at the dental surgery will be

maintained or improve in the days following treatment.

Laser Light-Based Teeth Whitening At A Dental SurgerySmartbleach 3LT teeth whitening is a recent innovation that uses a laser-like light (3LT) to replicate many of the benefits of the KTP laser teeth whitening at a slightly lower cost and with a faster treatment time. The laser-like light uses a similar non-acidic gel to the laser and has similar advantages. It does not heat the pulp of the tooth, which increases the safety of the procedure and reduces sensitivity. There is minimal dehydration of the enamel so the results

are stable and don’t bounce back and the non-acidic gel does not etch the enamel.

Very difficult staining may still require a laser but for most people this form of teeth whitening is long-lasting and better than anything else on the market.

Broadband Light-Based Teeth Whitening At A Dental SurgeryThis form of teeth whitening uses broadband light to heat a hydrogen peroxide gel to increase the reactivity of the gel and increase the whitening effect. The difference with this method is that the gel is acidic and can etch the tooth surface. It also creates the whitening

by Dr Mark Levi

TEETH WHITENINGHow do you make

sense of thedifferent types of teeth whitening?

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After laser whitening

Before

Dr Levi has been a dentist for some 30 years with the last 15 focusing on teeth whitening. Dr Levi has arguably the largest Tooth Whitening practice in Australia. Utilising all the major teeth-whitening technologies Dr Levi can achieve great results with even the most difficult cases. Dr Levi is a guest judge of Miss Universe Australia and is regularly featured on the Channel 9 network as a dental commentator.

Web: www.smileshop.com.au Ph: 02 9283 1900

About Dr Mark Levi

General Dentistry & Teeth Whitening Guru!

smileshopthe

The Smile Shop is all about you, the patient. From our convenient location to our practical office hours, we strive to make your visit easy and enjoyable. We are proud of the standard of excellence in dentistry and customer care that we have attained.

• One of the most experienced teeth whitening practices in Australia

• Laser Accreditation (Qld Uni)• Painless General and Cosmetic Dentistry

effect by dehydrating the teeth, which means the results may ‘bounce back’ as the teeth re-hydrate. This method of teeth whitening is unable to remove ingrained stain molecules deep in the tooth structure.

The initial whitening effect with this method can be slightly whiter. However, because the effect is achieved by dehydrating the teeth it needs to be maintained with home bleaching trays. The use of broadband light also carries the risk of heating the pulp of the tooth, which can increase the risk of sensitivity.

This form of whitening will still produce good, long-lasting whitening. By having this form of teeth whitening performed at a dental surgery you can ensure your teeth are properly checked and prepared prior to treatment.

Broadband Light-Based Teeth Whitening By Non-Dental Service Providers, eg. Spa or Beauty TherapistRecent changes have moved to stop non-dentists from performing teeth whitening. There are still some non-dental providers marketing their services so here are some of the disadvantages using their services.

The main complication comes about from the inability of the non-dentist to examine and prepare your teeth properly prior to treatment. If there is a crack in a tooth that is not found prior to treatment you risk excruciating pain as the hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with the pulp of your tooth. Alternatively, if your gums are not properly protected during treatment you risk walking away with a white border around your teeth where the gums have been bleached. Needless to say this is not good for your appearance or your self-esteem and it can take many months to resolve.

The systems marketed non-dental service provider also had lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide so the whitening effect is limited. This method also dehydrates the teeth and needs home bleaching trays to maintain the whitening effect. For these reasons you are better to choose whitening performed at a qualified dental surgery.

Home Teeth Whitening TraysThis is the most basic form of teeth whitening and, unfortunately, although it is cheap you will get what you pay for. By law these products can only contain low concentrations of hydrogen

peroxide used which limits the result you can achieve. With no light source to activate the gel there is no way to increase the reactivity of the whitening process. The previously mentioned risks also apply if the tooth structure has a crack in it.

The advantage of this method is purely price. You have to be prepared to accept that you get what you pay for and that results will be highly variable.

Which Is Best For You?A dentist with experience in teeth whitening can help you to decide which is best for you. Treatments performed in a dental surgery will have increased safety, predictability and will achieve long lasting results. Assuming good hygiene, and an acceptable level of exposure to staining foods and beverages, the results of these treatments will last for many years. A teeth whitening dentist will also give you an idea of the improvement you are likely to achieve when you undertake teeth whitening.

Talented Dentist Dr Levi, at the Smile Shop Sydney, whitens more teeth than anyone in Australia and has the KTP Laser. Seen often nationally on television with the Nine Network, lectures locally and overseas, and is a guest judge for Miss Universe Australia.www.toothwhiteningaustralia.com.au