1. What is cold light whitening?

It is a procedure to lighten up the teeth by using blue light with 400-500nm wave length (the temperature of the light remains unchanged, so it is called cold light), to activate the whitening agent painted on the teeth which contains 20%-30% peroxide. Free radicals released in the hydrogen peroxide oxidation reaction can change the carbon ring structure of the pigment, so as to whiten the teeth.

The procedure involves:

Evaluating dental condition, comparing teeth with the shade guide, cleaning teeth, protecting the gums, applying whitening agent and shining it with a cold light machine for 2 or 3 times (8 minutes each time), removing the whitening gel and gum protective gel, flushing with water, reviewing the whitening result.

2. What are the advantages of cold light whitening?

A. Satisfactory whitening results

Conventional dental cleaning is unable to change the original color of the teeth, though it can make teeth cleaner by removing the attached stains. Cold light whitening can penetrate into every part of the teeth including the enamel and dentin, and whiten and lighten the teeth by multiple shades;

B. Comforable, no side effects

Traditional bleaching gel may cause tooth sensitivity, but cold light whitening is safe, as its whitening agent mainly consists of hydrogen peroxide which won’t irritate dental pulp, nor bring about sensitivity. Moreover, better postoperative results can be expected, as the gums are isolated and well-protected during the procedure.

Teeth may become dark or brown orange over time. Besides, other causes of tooth discoloration could be smoking, drinking coffee, tea or wine, genetics or medical factors (tetracycline). Normally these can be fixed by cold light whitening. But children at very young age, teenagers and pregnant women are not candidates for it.

In some cases, tooth pain may come after the surgery, and it usually goes away after 24 hours. Patients must avoid foods and drinks with pigments, like tea, cofee, cola and food containing soy sauce in the restaurant within the first 24 hours following the procedure.