Tag Archives: Lasers

Dental Health

Tray-Based Teeth Whitening: Extending Professionals Touch

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Out of curiosity, have you ever asked the question why teeth get dark? Or have you even pondered on the possible answers to this simple query?

Tooth discoloration should not be taken lightly though the case should really lighten to brighten up a smile.

There are many reasons why teeth get stained. The most typical reasons vary from factors written below:

1.heredity
2.consumption of staining substances (such as tea, coffee, and colas)
3.excessive fluoride and use of abrasives (which only expose dentin and causes severe discoloration)*
4.tetracycline (antibiotic) staining
5.old fillings
6.aging

Toothpastes that have whitening agents can minimize the stain that is on the surface of the teeth. The case is also coined by dentists as extrinsic staining. However, professional dental cleanings and whitening toothpastes will not change the intrinsic staining of the teeth, if used appropriately. This is the main reason why tooth bleaching or tooth whitening is so popular.

Normally, teeth whitening remedies are categorized into two:

1.Professional whitening systems

This is usually performed by dentists using whitening gels and lasers to activate the solution. This is normally done inside a dental clinic.

2.Home-based teeth whitening remedy

This could either be done in-between appointments of professional treatments using whitening kits and tray-based whitening techniques or are just home-made remedies from kitchen and medicine items. These applications are usually done at home and according to the frequency suggested by dentists and/or by a products instructions.

Just how is tray-based teeth whitening technique employed to the patient? Read on the following four-step procedure:

1.A whitening gel is poured all over a tray that just fits over the teeth of the patient.
2.The active ingredient inside the gel, carbamide peroxide will be broken down sp that oxygen can enter the enamel to bleach the discolored areas.
3.By this, the physical structure of each tooth is not actually transformed. Crowns, fillings, and Bonding will not lighten but the colored substances will.
4.Casts or impressions of the tray are customized by dentists. The accuracy of the trays is critical to the treatment

Below are follow-up questions most patients are curious about tray teeth whitening method.

How safe is the method?

Most dentists agree that tray bleaching or whitening is relatively safe, fast, provides easy ways to lighten teeth between two and five shades in a matter of few days.

How is this different from other professional whitening systems?

Below is a list of some professional whitening products dentists in choosing items for their professional whitening system. The kind of bleaching laser or light is enclosed in parentheses.

1.BriteSmile (gas plasma light/light emitting diode)
2.LaserSmile (a Biolase laser)
3.LumaArch (halogen light)
4.Rembrandt Sapphire (plasma arc light)
5.Zoom! (metal halide light)

Generally, laser treatment is done by applying a 35% Hydrogen Peroxide gel-based solution on the teeth of the patient. After applying the solution on the surface of the teeth, a light is held several inches away from the patients mouth to activate the peroxide component of the gel. There are manufacturers and dentists who advertise that this method works better than tray whitening method. There are no actual data completed to support their claims.

Actually, after a year of usual lifestyle habits (drinking tea, colas, coffee, smoking, etc.) treatments using laser-accompanied whitening gel are disregarded. This will cost you another $ 500 or more to have the same treatment again.

However, with the custom-made mouthpieces, you can have your usual lifestyle habits for a year and perform touch-ups one day roughly alternately every 3-6 months to take off the new stain inexpensively.

Cosmetic Health

Laser Hair Removal Devices

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There are several different types of laser hair removal devices available today. These are alexandrite lasers, diode lasers, ruby lasers, and NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets, which is commonly referred to as Nd:YAGs.

Alexandrite lasers became available for use in laser hair removal in 1997 when they were cleared by the FDA. Alexandrite lasers produce light beams in the red spectrum of visible light.
Their wavelength is 755 nanometers which is very effective but only safe on light skin. Generally, alexandrite lasers are considered long pulsed and because of this produce greater depth penetration. Five different types of the alexandrite laser are available. These include the Apogee, GentleLase, Epicare, Epitouch Alex, and Ultrawave II-III.

The FDA also cleared diode lasers for use in 1997 as an effective method of permanent hair reduction. Diode lasers produce a wavelength of 800 nanometers with pulse widths of 5-400 milliseconds. This type of laser has proved successful in the treatment of ingrown eyelashes and works very well on dark hair. The Light SheerXC is a diode laser that is extremely powerful. Other diode lasers include EpiStar, Apex-800, Iridex, and Mediostar.

Ruby lasers were also cleared by the FDA for laser hair removal in 1997, however, they did not prove as effective. Clinical research showed that the laser damage did not extend far enough down into the hair shafts to result in permanent laser hair removal. Originally there were five types of ruby lasers, of which only two are still available for commercial use. A Ruby lasers operate on a shorter wavelength system of only 694 nanometers.

NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets have a longer wavelength which makes them more effective for longer term, and according to some people, even permanent laser hair removal. There are two types of Nd:YAGs lasers. These are the Q switched and the long pulse. All Nd:YAGs produce a wavelength of 1064 nanometers. The Q, switched NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets has a very short pulse of about one nanosecond. Long pulse NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets have a pulse of about a millisecond and can be used on all skin types.

The pulse duration, or pulse width, of lasers used for hair removal is the timing of the light energy. It is usually measured in milliseconds. Most lasers used for hair removal have a maximum pulse duration in the 20 to 40 millisecond range. Longer pulse widths are generally considered more effective and produce fewer side effects.

Each type of laser produces a specific spot size which is measured in millimeters. The spot size is the size, or width, of the beam of light at the laser sends out. A spot size of seven to 10 mm is considered acceptable for laser hair removal.

Most lasers have three main parts, an energy source, and active medium, and an optical cavity, also known as a resonator. The energy source is a device that supplies energy to the active medium. Laser hair removal devices use electricity as their energy source. The element of the active medium contains atoms that can both absorb and store the energy. The optical cavity is the part of the laser that contains the active medium. Lasers are defined by the elements they use.

Cosmetic Health

How to Choose a Laser Hair Removal Provider

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Choosing the right laser hair removal provider is the second most important decision you will make concerning your treatment. The most important decision was deciding to have the hair removal treatment. It is best to choose someone, preferably a doctor, that does laser hair removal on a regular basis. Often the best doctors to perform the procedure specialize in plastic surgery order dermatology. They usually have the latest laser devices and are more knowledgeable on the procedures.

A good way to find a list of practitioners in your area is to do an online search. This will result in a list of laser hair removal specialists for you to consider. Some may be doctors that perform the procedure themselves, and others may be doctors that oversee technicians that do the procedure. While searching online it is often possible to find reviews from previous clients concerning specific practitioners and treatments.

After you have narrowed down your list to several choices of laser hair removal specialists, the next step is to schedule a preliminary consultation. The purpose of this consultation is for you to further assess your choices and the quality of each one. Once you arrive at the office you will know right away if it is the type of setting where you would want to have your laser hair removal treatment. The office should meet with your specifications of cleanliness and orderliness. The staff should seem helpful and friendly when you arrive.

When you have your meeting with the practitioner, you should be prepared to ask several questions. You will want to find out the amount of experience he has had with laser hair removal. To do this, you may want to ask him the number of laser hair removal procedures he has completed, how long he has been offering these services, and where he was trained in this specific technology. It is acceptable to ask to see his medical certificates and credentials. This way you will determine his specialty, and whether or not he is board certified. It is also good to find out if the practitioner owns his own lasers.

If you are happy with how your preliminary consultation has progressed to this point, you may want to ask the practitioner the details concerning the specific laser hair removal procedure that you are interested in having done. You should ask him what kind of pain relief is available during the procedure, as most people do experience some degree of discomfort. If you have a low pain tolerance, this is especially important. Ask the practitioner how many treatments he feels will be necessary for your laser hair removal and determine whether his treatment schedule fits into your time from. It is also important to find out the cost of the laser hair removal treatments and the types of payments that this particular office accepts.

You should repeat the preliminary consultation with as many practitioners that you feel are necessary until you find one that makes you feel completely comfortable and fits your price range. Taking the time needed to choose the right practitioner for you is the first step to having successful laser hair removal treatments.

Cosmetic Health

How Lasers Work in Laser Hair Removal

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Laser hair removal works by the process of selective targeting of a specific area of the body and using a specific wavelength to absorb light into that area. It does not work on a hair by hair basis, instead it focuses a wide beam of light that treats many hairs at one time. The wavelength of light absorbed has to be sufficient enough to damage the targeted tissue area while leaving the surrounding area basically untouched. The principle behind this process is called selective photothermolysis.

Lasers are intense beams of monochromatic and coherent light. These light beams are produced by laser devices that contain either minerals or gases. The four main types of lasers are solid state, semiconductor, gas and dye.

An electric current stimulates the gas or mineral properties which excites the atoms. The atoms then emit narrow, cohesive, parallel light beams which are all the same wavelength. The light beams are focused just for a fraction of a second on the dark hair pigment at the matrix of the dermal papilla, which is the small, cone shaped indentation at the base of the hair follicle that the hair bulb fits into. The light beam is absorbed and heats the pigment which vaporizes the dermal papilla. The more intense the light beam the hotter it makes the pigment. This results in the dermal papilla being severely damaged or destroyed.

Most people believe that laser hair removal works best on hair that is in its anagen phase. This means that the hair is actively growing and is attached to the dermal papilla. The theory behind this belief is that if the dark pigment in the hair shaft extends all the way down to the dermal papilla, it will be destroyed and vaporized by the coherent light beam that is focused upon the area. This happens because the light beam will follow the dark pigment all the way down to the derma papilla.

Visible light has wavelengths that range from 390 to 770 nm, or nanometers. Lasers operating in this range allows for successful laser hair removal without causing any damage to the dermal tissue. Lasers with a light source that operates between 700 to 1000 nm targets melanin in the hair shaft effectively. For example, the wavelength of an alexandrite laser is 755 nm, which is red in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, making its target melanin. The stronger, or greater, the wavelength, the deeper it penetrates target selectively absorbing the wavelength.

Laser hair removal uses several varying wavelengths of laser energy. These wavelengths range from near infrared radiation to visible light. The three most commonly used lasers for hair removal are Alexandrite, Pulsed diode array, and NeoDymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnets, Also know as Nd:YAGs. The wavelengths of these lasers are 755nm, 810nm, and 1064nm respectively.

Laser hair removal utilizes a complex system of science and physics which are precisely balanced to work effectively and safely on the human body. As technology continues to advance in laser hair removal, this process continues to grow in popularity.