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Fotona’s TouchWhite® patent-pending tooth whitening makes use of the fact that the Er:YAG laser wavelength has an absorption peak in water which is the major component of aqueous bleaching gels. This eliminates the need for any additional absorbing particles in the bleaching gels.
Due to its high absorption in bleaching gels, the Er:YAG laser beam is fully absorbed in the gel and does not penetrate to the hard tissue or the pulp, as is the case with other laser-assisted whitening methods (Fig. 1).
Since the Er:YAG wavelength is fully absorbed in the gel, there is no direct heating of the underlying tooth. The diode wavelength, on the other hand, is relatively weakly absorbed in the gel, and the transmitted light directly heats up the whole tooth. That is why the Er:YAG laser® power in the TouchWhite technique, is utilized more effectively, and the gel can be heated to higher temperatures without compromising the safety of the tooth or pulp.
As a consequence, the TouchWhite® procedure can be performed with a minimal undesirable thermal burden on the tooth, and the tooth whitening speed can be safely increased by 3-5 times.
