Laser teeth whitening: all the details

Who doesn’t want whiter teeth? I’ve tried the at-home products, and while I’ve seen some minimal improvements, my teeth are so sensitive that it hasn’t seemed worth it. When I apply teeth-whitening strips, I wake up the next day to hours of pain…and when you consider how often they need to be applied to see any results, that’s a lot of discomfort.

I had heard that laser teeth whitening was much less painful, so I decided to take the plunge!

Here’s how it went down:

After a friendly chat and some informational discussion, I put the plastic holder in place to keep my mouth open. A peroxide-based gel was then applied to my teeth with a little brush, and a LED light directed towards my mouth. Then Emma (the business owner) put a cushion under my feet and I relaxed and listened to podcast (Happier in Hollywood, if you’re curious) for the first 15 minute whitening session.

When the time was up, Emma instructed me to take out the holder, I used two pretty cups to swish and spit, and that was it for the first session. It’s up to you to decide how many times you want to repeat it, and I went for the max of 4 sessions in one sitting – I figured I was already there, appointments can be hard to come by, and I might as well take advantage. There was absolutely no pain or discomfort during the procedure, except my face being a tiny bit sore from my mouth being opened wide for so long!

I do want to add though that about an hour after leaving I started experiencing that dull ache throughout my mouth that I usually get from whitening strips. I took Aleve and it faded a bit, but was still uncomfortable (not sharp pain; just distracting) until I went to bed. My friend who was there with me, I should note, experienced absolutely no discomfort at all, and most people do not. My advice for anyone with sensitive teeth would be to take pain relief medication before you go and continue for the rest of the day – and consider an appointment as late in the day as possible (I went at 8 a.m. so there was still a lot of day to get through!)

That said, I still think the results were totally worth it, and it was one day of moderate discomfort for teeth that are now 10 shades whiter (I started at 18 and ended at 8 – see the before and after photos below) compared to a whole month of pain to use whitening strips that don’t achieve nearly the same results.

The treatment room was totally not like being at the dentist: comfortable upright seating, music playing (for those who don’t bring their own podcasts like me!), a nice scent being diffused…very relaxing.

The cost for the full round of sessions is $199, but $30 off if you go with a friend, which I did – there are two comfy chairs in the treatment room!

If you’re local and want to check out the place I tried, it was Studio Pineo (name has since changed to Illume Room) in Peterborough (they also have a studio in Kingston), and I would highly recommend them (this is not sponsored, by the way). We were amazed by how professional and efficient the setup was (the business was run out of a home; it’s now in a different location) and my friend couldn’t get over the relaxed atmosphere.

To answer some common questions: no, neither the gel nor light damages the enamel or roots of the teeth, and your smile will stay the new shade for up to two years depending on your lifestyle (I have a feeling my Diet Cokes are going to lessen that time for me, especially now that restaurants are moving away from straws. I really need to get some stainless steel ones!)

As always, don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions, and feel free to message me privately on social media or through my site if you don’t want to leave a comment below!

You can find more information on teeth stains, natural remedies and laser teeth whitening here.