Tooth "whitening" light?

[Sigman]

What's the technology behind "this"?

"Here's" a small report about using curing lights on orthodontic adhesives. I wonder if the "pre-rinse" is nothing more than an adhesive with "whiteners" which cure in conjunction with the light mentioned in the above link?

[Dr_Joe]

I'm not sure but from what I know about those adhesives I'd say that is unlikely. They are generally formulated into thick paste, and just rinsing the teeth with them in a liquid form wouldn't guarantee adhesion to the surface enamel. The "paint-on", on the other hand, sounds like it may be just what you suspect. Clearly there appears to be some shared technology. (the photoinitiator at least) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif[/img]

[Dr_Joe]

The more I think about it, the more your theory make sense. The rinse just prepares the enamel for the polymerizing adhesive, and the paint is just a thinner formulation of the light cured adhesive (formulated in a very white color). Makes sense ! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif[/img]

[wasBlinded]

Hydrogen peroxide is the agent usually used for tooth whitening systems. I don't have personal knowledge of the product in question, but it could be using the light to generate hydrogen peroxide from the pre-rinse solution.