Are bleaching lights or lasers really a necessary or valuable part of professional teeth whitening treatments?
There is a bit of controversy in the dental community as to whether the “tooth whitener light activation” step actually contributes to the teeth whitening process. The manufacturers of light activated whitening products clearly make the claim that the light speeds up the whitening process and makes it more effective. While the specific rational associated with each company’s product differs, the general idea is that the light or laser “activation” triggers a quicker degradation of the peroxide whitener into its reactive components (oxygen free radicals). This in turn speeds up the rate at which the tooth whitening process takes place and enhances the whitening results. If this rationale is accurate it necessitates that a dentist must purchase the manufacturer’s bleaching light, an item that can cost many thousands of dollars or in the case of lasers tens of thousands of dollars. Historically there seemed to be a general acceptance by the dental community that a bleaching light was requ
