The light
Five kinds exist. Only one belongs anywhere near a salon chair.
What you will learn
- Why blue LED and not the other four
- What the light actually does to the gel
- How to handle the lamp without breaking it
Blue LED
A cold light. It cannot burn soft tissue. The LEDs themselves get very hot, which is the useful part: the lamp raises the temperature of the gel slightly and that activates it.
The four you do not want
- Ultraviolet
- The part of the spectrum that burns skin. Gums and tongue have no melanin to protect them. Common before blue LED, and a bad idea.
- Laser
- A real laser is a dentist only machine. People call blue LED lamps lasers for marketing. They are not lasers, and very few dentists use a real one for whitening.
- Plasma
- Powerful, expensive and dentist only. It does many things besides whitening, so it makes no sense for anyone else to buy one.
- Halogen
- Emits heat and can burn the mouth or face. Lips and face have to be shielded to avoid a sunburn. The wavelength is not even the best for activating gel.
Handling the Brite Lite 6200
Position the lamp between one and two inches from the mouth, with the front teeth completely exposed, and run it for 15 minutes.
Never twist the end of the light. Move it by the neck. Twisting the head is how these lamps break.
On the exam. This lesson answers question 8.