Teeth Whitening FAQ’s

Acid and acid alone is the only thing the can damage the gums or the structure of a tooth!
So yes, if the whitening gel being used is acidic then it will damage the structure of your teeth and gums, so before you get your teeth whitened ask the technician the pH level of the whitening gel being used as it should be perfectly matched to the natural pH level of your saliva!

If they do not know this fundamental information, then perhaps you should reconsider having this person carry out the procedure!  Heat will irritate the nerves found in teeth and damage the soft tissue in your mouth so always insure that the light emitted from the laser unit is being filtered to remove the heat and harmful frequencies of light such as ultra violet and infra-red light. If you have an overnight home kit that comprises of a mouth guard that is filled with gel and worn over night, this can cause gum disease and should be avoided!

The system and gels we use have been proven to actually be good for your teeth. Research has shown that clean teeth free from plaque naturally re-enamelize and as well as whitening your teeth our whitening gel leaves your teeth perfectly clean, furthermore research has shown the frequency of light used by our laser kills the bacteria that causes destructive gum disease.

This is a question that is almost impossible to answer as there are many varying factors as to how white a tooth will go. We have found after whitening almost one thousand people’s teeth, results of between 5 – 14 shades whiter with in just under 1 hour. Teeth can be expected with an average of 8 shades whiter. (Referring to Vita Classic scale, 2-14 shades on the new Vita Bleach scale).

However the type of staining is a large factor, for example if your staining is severe from a lifestyle of consuming too many cigarettes and red wine etc. then you can expect the greatest results. If your teeth are stained by tetracycline antibiotics, then the first treatment may only achieve three or four shades whiter with additional sessions required to achieve the desired level of whiteness.

If your teeth are already fairly white, then it is impossible to get your teeth to go 8 shades whiter, in fact three or four shades is to be expected or as white as your teeth can naturally go.

Also age is a factor in how white your teeth will go. As you grow older the mineral content of your teeth diminishes which governs how white your teeth will go.

All teeth are different, genetics plays a large roll, some people have a great mineral content in their teeth allowing the tooth to go very white where as another person’s teeth will not go as white even though they both have a very similar diet and age.

Please note that natural teeth will only go so white naturally, if you want teeth that are paper white as some of the movie stars in magazines, then you don’t want your teeth whitened, you want fake veneers!

Lifestyles unique whitening gel has been specially formulated to leave a healthy glossy look to your teeth after being whitened as opposed to the chalky appearance achieved by other laser teeth whitening companies. Rest assured that we will whiten your teeth to the maximum that we can achieve.

Whilst there are many factors involved with regards to how white your teeth will go, such as your age, the mineral content of your teeth, the type of staining you have and how dark or white they are in the first place. These factors make it impossible for us to judge exactly how white your teeth will go.

What we believe is that this is one of the best teeth whitening treatments currently available and that we will get your teeth as white as it is possible to get them. Every single person achieves a guaranteed brighter result.

In just under 1 hour, discoloration that has built up over the years will magically disappear. It takes no longer than the time it would for you to have a haircut or a manicure, or have a cup of coffee – it’s that simple!

This technique whitens your teeth right away and has no side effects. The result is 80% better than home whitening products and 40% better than comparable laser technologies.

Cosmetic teeth whitening treatment cannot change the colour of new crowns, veneers or fillings. If it’s an old crown or veneers, the treatment may take them back to their original colour.

Most of our customers experience no pain or sensitivity. A very small percentage of patients may experience a minor sensitivity for a couple of hours after the treatment. In a way this shows that our system actually works as non-sensitive gimmick systems are not very effective.

Teeth whitening can be very harmful if cheap inferior products are used or if the person is not fully trained or experienced. Our equipment and products are safe and do not change or damage the structure of your teeth. Years of experience in laser technology and treating over a thousand satisfied customers explains why more people come to us for our service.

1. Treatment preparation time:

Preparation time is significantly longer and less comfortable for the patient. The light emitted from the Zoom system with no filtration contains high levels of Ultraviolet light. This UV exposure puts the patient at risk from sun burning during the procedure and therefore the doctor is instructed in the Zoom operational manual to block out all pink tissue in the mouth of the patient. In the video sent with the Zoom System the doctor is instructed to use gingival barrier to completely seal the gum tissue first. Then, the doctor is to use gauze and cotton rolls to fill the exposed inner cheeks and margins along the lips and gums. The doctor is instructed to place gauze sheets inside the mouth to cover the tongue and to seal or “glue” the gauze and cotton rolls together with the remaining gingival barrier and light cure this additional material to prevent any exposure of the pink tissues to the light emitted from the Zoom lamp. Obviously when you compare the preparation of a 2 to 3 millimetre gingival margin barrier required with the Lifestyles system to the lengthy preparation with the Zoom system, it is easy to imagine an addition 10 to 15 minutes of chair time when preparing the patient for the treatment. This longer preparation time is not only unwelcome to the dentists, but also uncomfortable for the patient. Additionally, the patient can no longer breathe through their mouth, further placing the patient at a discomfort.

The gingival barrier and complete protection of the pink tissue cannot be guaranteed. During either the Lifestyles or Zoom procedure, the patient will inadvertently move his or her mouth as the cheek retractor is never completely comfortable and keeping the mouth completely still for the entire treatment is unlikely. As the patient moves his or her mouth, the gauze and/or cotton rolls used during the Zoom procedure inside the mouth and glued together with gingival barrier can easily tear apart. If there is any tearing at all, the patient risks getting sunburn inside the mouth during the treatment. Subsequently, in between cycles, the doctor must check the barriers to make sure no tears have appeared during the cycle and correct any tears and cover any newly exposed areas before resuming the treatment. This adds even more time to the treatment.

2. Heat:

Without any filtering of the light, the UV exposure creates heat
inside the mouth. As heat builds up inside the mouth during the treatment, further trapped by all the cotton and gauze, there is increased risk or damage to the tooth pulp and increases in post-treatment sensitivity. Teeth and gum tissue that is warm and exposed to the gel at the same time will have a higher risk to develop serious sensitivity. In our discussions with doctors that have used the Zoom system, they complain that many patients cannot complete the last cycle as the teeth are already very irritated and sensitivity becomes unbearable. As a result, many refuse to pay for the treatment as they cannot finish the entire procedure.

3. The intensity of the light is too weak:

Since there is no filtration, the Zoom system uses a weaker light source inside the lamp head to control some of the risk of heat, sensitivity and UV exposure. As a result, the treatment time must be extended to three cycles of 15 to 20 minutes each in order to get good results. The problem is that such a long amount of time with teeth exposed to the gel (as well as the UV and heat) creates even more risk of sensitivity both during the treatment as well as after the treatment is complete. The patient is also in the chair no less than 1 hour and in many cases nearer to an hour and a half to complete the treatment.

One additional point that you may face:

Zoom adds a chemical to their gel called Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (ACP) which is a proven desensitizing agent. We do not use it, and the reason is that it can act as barrier to the gel penetrating deep into the teeth.  Instead of treating the sensitivity this way and reducing the results, we use fluoride, also a proven de-sensitizing agent and insist on making the treatment time as short as possible through better, safer, light-acceleration and shorter patient prep time and chair time. This is the best way to make sure the patient sees the best results with little or no sensitivity.