After the Procedure

After the treatment period, the gel is wiped off the teeth. The patient must then rinse his or her mouth out with water. Usually, the patient will be given some products to use at home to further polish his or her teeth, such as teeth whitening toothpaste or a whitening gel with trays; if trays were used during the procedure, they might be sent home with the patient to use with the at-home gel.

Sensitivity can occur, such as when one eats cold or hot food or drink. Even luke-warm water might feel cold against the teeth and gums after the procedure. Typically, this sensitivity will be gone within forty eight hours. Sometimes, however, the patient will experience permanent sensitivity, which is caused from excessive damage. However, technology has improved, and the amount of time needed to damage the teeth is usually longer than the procedure takes, so the risk of permanent damage is very small. Still, though, there is a risk.

The Laser

After the petroleum jelly is on the lips, cheeks, tongue, and mouth, and the gel is on the teeth, it is time to use the laser. The laser is blue and not very strong, so it must be placed very close to to the teeth. Typically, it will sit about an inch or two away from your teeth. Patients will undergo an hour of treatment; this can be broken up into two thirty-minute treatments, three twenty-minute treatments, or one sixty-minute treatment. When the procedures are broken up, it is okay to wait a day or two before the next procedure. This will help prevent tooth and gum sensitivity.

The Gel

When you have the Vaseline or jelly spread throughout your mouth, and your mouth has adequate protection from the laser, it is time to put the teeth whitening gel on your teeth. The gel that will be placed on your teeth is a gel that contains hydrogen peroxide, and it will be put directly on your teeth.

The gel is put in a tray, and the tray is placed on your teeth. The dentist or provider should pay extra attention to placing the tray, as no gel should come into contact with the patient's gums; hydrogen peroxide will burn and damage the gums. This is sometimes unavoidable, but the damage can be lessened if close attention is paid. The patient will almost always experience at least a little sensitivity during the procedure and for a day immediately following the procedure.

Protecting Your Gums and Tongue

Before you begin a laser teeth whitening procedure, you'll need to protect your tongue and gums against the laser. The laser, while very effective, is very hot, and it can damage the tissue in your mouth. It is meant to heat the teeth and the teeth only. So, your provider will, after spreading your lips and cheeks away from the teeth, cover your tongue and gums with Vaseline or some other petroleum jelly product. The laser can dry the mouth, as well, so this jelly will keep your mouth from drying out, and it will prevent the laser from burning the tissue.

Why Laser Teeth Whitening?

Anyone who really wants to whiten his or her teeth should consider laser teeth whitening. Laser teeth whitening is by far more effective than all of the other teeth whitening products. Not only is laser teeth whitening the most effective, but it is also the fastest way to whiten your teeth. You cannot get laser teeth whiteners over the counter; it is available at the dentist or other laser teeth whitening provider.

The only difficult part of laser whitening is the price; one can spend anywhere from three hundred to one thousand dollars on a procedure. Though, the procedures are getting cheaper with time.