Is Red Light Therapy More Effective Than Other Oral Hygiene Treatments?

The therapy involving the use of red light is setting its feet firmly in dentistry due to its ability to cure a number of oral health problems. Oral hygiene is essential in order to have a healthy lifestyle. One ought to follow the daily oral care routines to keep the mouth in a healthy state as there is no substitute for the same. So, let us have a detailed understanding of both these methods and finally conclude which one is better and why.

Things to know about red light therapy

Before opting for this treatment, you must be well aware of everything related to this methodology. So, let us understand the essential aspects of this method of treatment in detail.

What does it mean?

Red Light Treatment refers to the use of red light emitted by the light-emitting diodes in order to serve different purposes and get rid of a number of health problems. Light of wavelength nearer to that of the infrared light is generally used for this purpose. Diving deep into the past, it could be realized that the use of red light has evolved right from its use on plants to human beings. The use of light from LEDs started as a means to enhance the growth of plants in space. This light had the capability to energize the plant cells and improve the process of photosynthesis. Later on, scientific studies showed results which confirmed that this therapy could be used to cure human health problems. So, before reaching out to the benefits of this method, let us know how this therapy works.

How does it work?

Cells are the primary building blocks of our body. Every process related to a person's body starts inside a cell. Mitochondria, also known as the powerhouse of a cell, is responsible for creating energy. Exposure of cells to the red light energizes them, thereby enhancing their functionality. The cells start to grow, repair, and rejuvenate faster. On a general note, red light has a number of effects on the body, and the following points support this fact.

Exposure to light has an impact on our sleep, mood, and much more.
Red light has excellent healing and therapeutic properties.
It assists in the process of growth and repair.
Red light has the highest penetrating power amongst the concerned colors due to which it can be used to repair tissues residing in deeper layers.
Red light stimulates the production of ATP, which is responsible for having systemic effects on the body.

What are its uses?

Although studies have viably confirmed the effectiveness of the therapy in resolving a number of health problems, yet there's something more to be known about it. Despite this, it is beneficial in the following ways, and science has sufficient evidence to prove it. So, let's discuss some of the prevalent benefits of the same.

Through its use, the inflammation levels are lowered down in the body.
It helps in significantly improving the health of your skin by resolving tissue related problems and speeding up the process of repairing cells and tissues.
The therapy enables you to drive away aging effects by removing wrinkles and tightening loose skin.
Oral health is enhanced considerably by the use of this methodology.
One can counter hair loss by bringing it in use.
It helps in increasing testosterone levels in the body and improves fertility.
Healing power of the body is enhanced multiple folds by the use of this therapy. It further speeds up the process of healing and helps in the case of slow-healing wounds. Apart from this, the therapy reduces the time that the body generally takes to recover after physical training or injury.
Improves the functionality of the cells and enhances their performance and energy.
It is helpful to people suffering from thyroid problems.

Are there any risks involved?

As such, there are no prominent side effects involved in the process, yet there can be some sort of mild and short-term effects such as headaches and fatigue. During the therapy, the mitochondria are charged up for producing more energy than the body usually experience; that is why you may experience these mild effects after treatment. Since the devices used in the process do not emit ultraviolet light radiation, so the possibility of sunburns seem to vanish. Still, you need to be cautious while using these devices as some of them emit high-frequency electromagnetic radiations. Therefore, you need to research thoroughly, know your requirements, and then go for any of these red light devices.

How effective is red light therapy in enhancing oral health?

The use of red light is highly effective in providing relief from a number of oral health problems. Have a look at the following benefits that it gives against different sorts of mouth-related issues.

Tooth sensitivity is a serious problem that has a direct effect on the lifestyle of an individual. With sensitive teeth, you can not enjoy eating some of your favorite food items. Breathing through the mouth gets tougher due to sensitive teeth. Use of red light has significantly helped in reducing the intensity of tooth sensitivity.

Sometimes, your teeth or the ligaments can suffer damage either naturally or during any medical process. Since it is medically known that the therapy facilitates the build-up of the dentin layer, therefore, this fact makes it possible for the therapy to speed up the healing process of the mouth. The treatment has also been found to reduce the inflammation levels of teeth bone and gums if there exists any.

Daily Tooth care

It is vital to take care of your teeth on a regular basis in order to ensure proper oral health. Small particles and remains of the food that you eat stick to and fill the spaces between your teeth. These particles do not go off even after drinking water. So, it is highly recommended to clean your oral region thoroughly and regularly in order to avoid any sort of oral health problems and facilitate natural teeth whitening process which is nothing but keeping your teeth clean and white just by following a healthy daily mouth care routine. In light of this, let us have a look at what you should do to have a healthy habit for cleaning your mouth.

Practices involved in daily tooth care routine

Following methods ought to be brought in the habit in order to make sure that you maintain good oral health and hygiene.

Brush at least twice a day. Never head to bed without adequately brushing your teeth as it is while sleeping that the building up of germs and tooth problems take place
Brush your teeth in a proper manner. Avoid vague brushing as it may hurt your gums. Try to brush gently and make use of short strokes while doing so.
A number of people do not clean their tongue daily. Cleaning up your tongue is as essential as brushing your teeth. So, make it a prominent habit of cleaning your tongue daily and gently with a tongue cleaner
Choice of a good toothpaste plays a significant role in maintaining oral health. It is advisable to choose one with good fluoride content as it helps in reducing sensitivity. Also, make sure that the toothpaste you use has an ADA seal on it. In case, you have sensitive teeth; you can use one as recommended by your dentist
Flossing is essential for removing small food particles sticking to your mouth.
You can make use of a good mouthwash occasionally, but the same shouldn't be preferred over brushing.
Limit the consumption of acidic and sugary food items as these might be unhealthy for your teeth.

Which one is better - a critical assessment

Although brushing and flossing are daily oral care habits, yet it won't be wise to say that these habits are better than the use of red light. Of course, these habits are mandatory, but, when we talk about instant results, there should be a critical analysis in order to reach a conclusion. Red light has the ability to remove oral bacteria only when it is used in optimum wavelength range as the light of this wavelength can destroy bacteria such as lactobacilli and staphylococcus which are known for their degenerative actions on the canal.

Thus, it could be asserted that the use of red light helps in the treatment of a number of oral health issues, which certainly the daily care routine cannot. Daily care routines are a must for everyone while the therapy is meant to cure problems occurring despite following your daily routine.

Final thought

Now that you have sufficient information about both the methods of keeping your oral health in good shape, you can infer from this what to choose and in what situation. Daily oral care routine is a preventive measure, while therapy is generally used as a curative measure for a variety of oral health problems. Hope this helps in clearing your doubts regarding both the methodologies as well as their differences.