The BriteSmile® teeth whitening system.
The BriteSmile® teeth whitening system is manufactured by Discus Dental, Inc. who bought the majority of BriteSmile, Inc.'s assets in 2006. (Discus Dental, Inc. also manufactures the Zoom® teeth whitening system.)
You may already be familiar with this brand name. It has a history of being advertised fairly aggressively.
You can arrange for whitening treatments either through an individual dentist (via the BriteSmile® "Associated Center" network), or else at one of the BriteSmile® "whitening spas" (ownership of the whitening spas has been retained by BriteSmile, Inc.).
Whitening spas are located in the following cities:
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Arizona: Phoenix / California: Beverly Hills, Irvine, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Walnut Creek / Colorado: Denver / Georgia: Atlanta / Illinois: Chicago, Schaumburg / Massachusetts: Boston / New York City: Midtown, Soho, Madison Ave. / Oregon: Portland / Texas: Dallas,Houston / Virginia: McLean / Washington: Bellingham, Lynnwood, Redmond, Spokane, Tukwila / Ontario: Etobicoke, Mississauga, Toronto |
What type of whitener is used?
This system uses BriteSmile® Procedural Gel as the whitener. It is a hydrogen peroxide-based compound that comes prepackaged and ready for use.
It has a 15% hydrogen peroxide concentration (a lower concentration than many competing products) and a pH of 6.5 (very close to neutral, which is good).
The protocol for this whitener's use includes the addition of an "accelerator" before the gel is applied. This step is stated to enhance the whitener's effectiveness. (More about whiteners...)
Is a bleaching light used?
The protocol for the BriteSmile® system includes the use of a gas plasma or light-emitting diode (LED) bleaching light. These lights are manufactured by BriteSmile, Inc., specifically for use with their whitening systems.
What these two types of light units have in common is they both emit light having a wavelength between 400 and 500nm (light that is blue-green in color).
BriteSmile® states that light with this wavelength activates the "photo-initiator" that's included in the formulation of their whitener, thus boosting its whitening effectiveness. (This type of claim is considered somewhat controversial by some, including us.)
When either bleaching light model is placed into position, it is capable of illuminating all of the patient's teeth (both upper and lower). This makes performing treatments easier and more efficient for the dentist. Neither of these units have been shown to produce a significant heating effect on the teeth being treated, which is important.
As a point of interest, BriteSmile, Inc. owns the bleaching light that is used, not the dentist. The cost of using the light is passed on to the dentist on a per-patient basis.
How long do treatments take?
BriteSmile® teeth whitening treatments take about 60 minutes from start to finish.
Each bleaching session is divided into two individual applications of the BriteSmile® teeth whitener, with the duration of each being 20 minutes. This means that the cumulative exposure of the patient's teeth to the whitener is 40 minutes. Additional of pre- and post-treatment activities round the total treatment time up to around an hour.
Are at-home follow-up treatments recommended?
BriteSmile, Inc. does manufacture teeth whitening products for use at home. But using these items is an option and not a formal part of their whitening protocol. (More about why at-home treatments are used...)
The whitening procedure.
The steps a dentist follows when performing BriteSmile® treatment does not vary greatly from those steps we outline for the typical professional teeth whitening process. As you read that information, note that the BriteSmile® system does include the use of a paint-on dental dam and also the "activation" of the whitening gel with a bleaching light.
