Professional Tooth Whitening

White Science combines several innovations to rejuvenate your smile in record time and whiten teeth in less than 30 minutes. Research has shown that there are five factors to successfully whiten teeth: peroxide, light, pressure, heat and exposure.

Peroxide
Peroxide is an active ingredient, found in many dental whitening products, that breaks down to hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide reacts to light and oxygen forming what is called hydroxyl radicals that penetrate the tooth structure to break down stains. Unfortunately, peroxide can burn gums and cause tooth sensitivity. While diluting the product will lessen the side effects, dilution also reduces its ability to whiten teeth. Peroxide’s pH level (degree of acidity and alkalinity) is far from neutral and can be artificially lowered. Lowering the pH level, however, increases side effects.

How do you reap the benefits of peroxide while reducing the side effects? WhiteScience uses innovative, patented foam pads that are saturated with specially formulated neutral pH peroxide gel.  The foam pads collect the stain material as it breaks down, and stains are removed with the pads.

Light
Exposing teeth to concentrated light intensifies and accelerates whitening, as well as increases the release of stain-fighting hydroxyl radicals with neutral pH peroxide. Only certain wavelengths of light (400 to 560 nanometers) accelerate and sustain the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl radicals. These wavelengths are within the visible light spectrum and, unlike ultraviolet light, are safe.

Pressure
WhiteScience’s product, SpaWhite, uses a patented pressure pad that forms to the shape of your teeth without an expensive custom tray. The pads are placed into pressure pockets in the lens, which squeezes the pads between the lens and teeth, forcing the peroxide gel into the tooth structure. The pressure pads take the place of custom trays that apply pressure because they are molded to your teeth.  Without this pressure, peroxide is not nearly as effective.

Heat
The advanced, spectrum-controlled light specifically developed for the SpaWhite process applies energy just outside a clear lens between the teeth. This unique lens guides the light; the combination of the foam pads, pressure, and light streaming through the lens reacts with the internal mouth temperature to raise the temperature of the peroxide.Peroxide becomes more active as it heats up, releasing more of its powerful hydroxyl radicals than it would at lower temperatures.

Exposure
The longer you expose your teeth to a combination of peroxide, light, heat and pressure, the whiter your teeth will get.  At some point, however, peroxide eventually breaks down into water, especially when exposed to heat and light.  Therefore, a balance must be struck between the number of applications and exposure time. For most people, one or two SpaWhite sessions of 12 to 15 minutes is sufficient.

Spa White’s patented lens with upper whitening pad in place.