How Does LED Teeth Whitening Work? (2024)

FAQs

How does LED teeth whitening work? ›

LED lights whiten your teeth through their photochemical impact on the tooth surface. On application, the light energy activates the hydrogen peroxide in teeth whitening serum and speeds up the bleaching process. Irrespective of the cause of yellow teeth, it is an effective treatment for enhancing any smile.

It's generally safe to use an LED teeth whitener once every 24-48 hours, depending on the strength of the device and the sensitivity of your teeth. The MOON Teeth Whitening Device is designed to be gentle and is safe to use twice a day for 14 days at a time.

It is believed that most light sources decompose peroxide faster (by increasing the temperature) to form free radicals which whiten teeth.

Blue light itself cannot whiten the teeth. Instead, blue light is used to activate a chemical reaction. You'll apply a specialized whitening gel to the patient's teeth containing either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. The blue light activates the compounds in the gel and helps break it apart faster.

Although results cannot be achieved with an LED light alone, phenomenal results are produced when used with whitening gels.

Though some lights can add a temporary boost that fades within a day or so, none ultimately make your teeth whiter than trays of bleach or whitening strips alone. Nor can they shorten the amount of time you have to spend with a mouth full of whitening chemicals to achieve your desired tooth shade.

As for whether you should brush your teeth after using whitening strips, there is no definitive answer. While some experts recommend brushing immediately after removing the strips to ensure all residue is removed, others advise waiting for 30 minutes to allow the enamel to rehydrate and minimize potential abrasion.

While beverages and liquids such as milk and water are okay to drink, dark-colored beverages should be avoided after a teeth whitening procedure. Avoid beverages such as coffee, dark sodas, red wines, and tea. You should also avoid dark juices including cranberry, grape, orange, and tomato juice.

Enjoying the most benefit from this gentle, effective procedure includes watching what you eat for the first day afterward. In general, you should avoid foods that are likely to cause re-staining or irritate sensitive teeth. After a short time you can resume a normal healthy diet, normally between 24-72 hours.

Zoom in office whitening

Zoom-in-office whitening is the best teeth whitening system out there. It is fast (takes about an hour) and you get great results. This is the one you have probably seen before where the patients are under that blue light and it turns your teeth up to four shades of whiter.

Is laser teeth whitening better than LED? ›

Firstly, whitening time is shorter for only 2-3 minutes, much less than 30-45 minutes of LED light bleaching. Secondly, there is lower teeth sensitivity, while LED light whitening has a strong acid swelling reaction. Thirdly, laser tooth whitening has a better effect and can last for longer time.

The heat from the laser speeds up the whitening process, both whitening and dehydrating the enamel, giving quicker results. However once the enamel rehydrates, the teeth appear to darken again and further “top ups” are often required.

At-home LED teeth-whitening kits may deliver results. But the whitening you see is a result of the gel, not the light. “There is not enough data to show definitively that the LED offers a significant improvement over just using a tray with the gel,” says cosmetic dentist Dr.

Baking soda can be used with some water to remove the stains on the surface of the teeth. It can also be used with hydrogen peroxide to enhance its whitening effects. Baking soda can be used by individuals with regular toothpastes too. It is also used commercially in some teeth whitening products and toothpastes.

Blue light teeth whitening side effects

You may experience some tooth sensitivity and irritation in the areas of treatment after getting your teeth whitened with a blue light treatment method. In one small 2012 study , an in-office treatment included an LED light to activate a whitening gel for three 10-minute cycles.

You can safely whiten your teeth with blue light every 1-2 weeks, depending on your sensitivity and desired results. It's important to follow product guidelines to avoid overuse.