LED Dentistry

Teeth that Light Up a Room…in the Dark

We’ve all seen glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, little kids shoes that light up when they walk, and even belts with flashing lights on them. But light up teeth? Two designers in Japan are doing just that to advertise a winter sale at their clothing store, Laforet Harajuku.

Now, we’re not just talking about those 25 cent plastic vampire fangs that you can get at Halloween that are supposed to glow in the dark. These “fronts” contain light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that you affix to your teeth which then glow and blink in different colors when you open your mouth. In fact, they are so bright that you can see them even with your mouth closed. What a great addition to the holiday festivities!

Their ad campaign features a group of girls walking around a city in the dark, wearing these LED smiles and acting as if nothing were strange. Frankly, it’s kind of creepy, like a pack of robots slowly coming towards you. The mouthpieces are also a little cumbersome, because you still have to carry a type of battery pack that is attached by wires that hang out of the side of your mouth.

For now, the technology is not commercially available, and the designers, Motoi Ishibashi and Daito Manabe, say they have no plans to make them so at this time. Further testing will have to be done before they can be sold on a large scale, and they will have to prove that the mouthpieces are not harmful to your teeth or general health in any way. Maybe someday you too can have light-up teeth!

LED Dentistry is one of the many technologies that can be used to whiten teeth. Unlike traditional light bulbs, this technology actually focuses all of its energy on producing light without emitting heat, so they are designed to keep from burning your skin and soft tissues.

For teeth whitening in a dental office, the LEDs are used in light-accelerated bleaching, speeding up the effectiveness of whitening gels and hopefully freeing you from having to make multiple appointments. For more information about these and other options, check out our teeth whitening page.

If you want to light up the night, look for an LED mouthpiece. But if you want to light up any room with your smile, ask your Houston dentist, Dr. Dassani about adding teeth whitening to your next appointment. Call Dassani Dentistry today to have a beautiful Houston smile!

Sources

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/new-japanese-fashion-l-e-d-lights-for-your-teeth/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1350308/LED-teeth-Now-really-CAN-light-room-smile.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_bleaching

http://youtu.be/QsWc58zmBKI

http://youtu.be/wcaQ5QWHJlM

About Meghna Dassani, DMD

Dr. Meghna Dassani received her initial dental training from the University of Mumbai, India, where she graduated in 1996 as Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). After working as an associate for one year, she established her own practice in Mumbai, India. She successfully operated this practice for six years prior to moving to the US. When Dr. Meghna Dassani is not in the office she is at home being a mommy to her 2 beautiful girls and enjoying time relaxing with her husband. Since opening her own practice in 2011 she doesn’t have a lot of free time but when the time allows she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, visiting with friends and family and of course SHOPPING with a Starbucks in her hand!