For many years, as I brushed my teeth each morning and evening and gazed into the mirror, I wondered just how different the picture I saw would be if I plucked up the courage to have laser teeth whitening treatment. Each time the thought crossed my mind my natural fear of the dentist, and the thought of the cost involved, quickly dispelled it.

Just over a year ago, however, I was on holiday in the Far East and tooth ache forced me to seek out a dentist at the much applauded dental department of the local international hospital. While having the necessary filling, I noticed that the centre also offered laser teeth whitening and that they were currently running a special promotion which was the equivalent of about half the cost I would pay back at home. It was too good an offer to pass up and so I made an appointment for later that week.

The treatment was in two parts. On my first appointment, the procedure was explained to me and it was made clear that the results varied considerably from individual to individual. In my case, although my teeth were in very good condition for my age, years of cigarette smoking had left their mark and so, although a considerable improvement should be seen, my teeth were never again going to match the gleaming white teeth seen in the tooth whitening advertisements.

With the explanation of the procedure out of the way, my first appointment concluded with a clean and polish. Now whether this was typical of laser teeth whitening treatments, or was simply the standard at this particular dental centre, I don't know, but this particular clean and polish was the most thorough I have ever experienced and took no less than one hour and twenty minutes. That said, it was not a painful process, but was somewhat uncomfortable and not something I would like to go through too often.

Five days later I returned for the laser teeth whitening procedure itself.

After fitting a large plastic guard into my mouth and packing the area around my gums with gauze, a protective gel was applied to my gums and this was set using a light. This process was again somewhat uncomfortable and setting the gel generated quite a bit of heat which was a little worrying, but overall things seemed to be proceeding smoothly.

Next, a whitening gel was applied to my teeth and then the laser light process started. For this a small hand-held laser light instrument was used and my teeth were divided into four sections (upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left) with the light being applied for about one and a half minutes to each section in turn. This process was repeated four times and then the whitening gel was rinsed off and fresh gel applied before a second round of four further light exposures.

Up until this point the procedure had been painless and seemed simple enough. However, as the second set of light exposures started, I began to experience shooting pains in a number of my teeth. At first these were reasonably mild, but the intensity soon increased and, after just two further light treatments, I was forced to call a halt to the proceedings.

This sensitivity is apparently quite normal and, although it varies considerably from person to person, many patients fail to run the full course of eight light exposures. What is also common, and which I hadn't realized until after the treatment, was that the whitening process started by the laser light exposure continues for several days after the treatment, as do the shooting pains!

So what were the final results like and was it worth having the treatment?

Well, I certainly noticed a considerable difference in the appearance of my teeth and even now, a year after the treatment, my teeth are still much whiter and brighter than before. This said, they are slowly beginning to discolor again and I would probably need to repeat the treatment again in about another year or eighteen months to maintain a white, bright smile. So, would I go through the treatment again?

Yes, without doubt. I am certainly no fan of the dentist, but the difference that this particular treatment has made to my life is significant and I will not hesitate to return for further treatment when the time comes.

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