Why do dentists use a blue light? - Verber Family Dentistry (2024)

FAQs

Why do dentists use a blue light? - Verber Family Dentistry? ›

The dental curing light is a quick and easy way to help set your fillings so they stay secured in the tooth cavity.

Composite materials are malleable when first placed in the cavity, allowing the dentist to adapt it to fit your tooth. Once the material is in place, shining a blue light on it starts a reaction that hardens the composite filling.

We often get the question, "What is that?" from our patients who are watching us wave this "blue wand" over their mouth while getting fillings. This "blue wand" is a curing light. This light is used for polymerization of light-cured resin-based composites or, in other words, the white filling that we put in a tooth.

LED curing light. These curing lights use one or more light-emitting diodes [LEDs] and produce blue light that cures the dental material. LEDs as light-curing sources were first suggested in the literature in 1995. A short history of LED curing in dentistry was published in 2013.

Bite blocks are made out of blue or tooth colored material. They are used to help protect your brackets from your teeth or to help correct a deep bite or unlock your bite.

LED blue light intensifies bleaching for faster results. Process includes evaluation, polishing, whitening, and gum protection. Pros: professional care, immediate results, evaluation. Cons: longer procedure time, potential tooth sensitivity.

This comes down to you or your dentist using the lights safely. If not used correctly, it might cause soft tissue burning, gum irritation, damage to teeth, and increased tooth sensitivity.

The specially-engineered Blue Light helps weaken yellow stains so that the peroxide can whiten teeth more effectively. When and how do I use the light? Use the light at the end of your ARC teeth whitening treatment (30 minutes total wear time).

The light can be focused on the exact area that needs to be cured, ensuring that the material hardens evenly and accurately. This helps to reduce the amount of time that a patient needs to spend in the dentist's chair. Second, UV light curing provides a strong bond between the composite material and the tooth.

The fancier way to say this is that the UV-A light's wavelength is causing a photochemical reaction which causes the polymer to harden. Pretty handy when you're getting braces on your teeth or a cavity filled! It's wonderful because it shortens drying time for important dental sealants used to take care of your teeth.

What is the thing dentists put on your teeth at the end? ›

Fluoride varnish is a dental treatment that can help prevent tooth decay, slow it down, or stop it from getting worse. Fluoride varnish is made with fluoride, a mineral that can strengthen tooth enamel (outer coating on teeth).

This means that you will need to keep your mouth wide open for the duration of the treatment sessions. If your muscles get tired we may place an additional rubber mouth prop to help you keep your mouth open comfortably. Treatment is usually carried out over multiple sessions due to the complexity of treatment.

White fillings can also be called dental composite and they are the tooth-coloured resins used to fill cavities. This composite resin is made of a blend of plastics and fillers such as silica and dimethylglyoxime which bond with the tooth's surface.

Blue light teeth whitening side effects

You may experience some tooth sensitivity and irritation in the areas of treatment after getting your teeth whitened with a blue light treatment method. In one small 2012 study , an in-office treatment included an LED light to activate a whitening gel for three 10-minute cycles.

When your time is up (either 30 or 60 minutes), peel off your strips and dispose of them in the trash. You may have some whitening gel leftover on your teeth, so gently brush that with a toothbrush.

While UV light teeth whitening has been linked to cancer and other health problems, blue LED light is considered safe and has minimal side effects. Blue light teeth whitening typically provides faster results than traditional DIY methods.

In addition, UV lighting comes with short and long-term risk factors that are important to make note of. Short-term risk factors include burns and bleeding of the gums, tooth sensitivity and even sunburn to the skin, while long-term risk factors may lead to wear on the teeth's enamel and even oral cancer.