Dentist’s device brightens smiles

Renowned New York-based aesthetic dentist Jonathan B. Levine moonlights as an inventor, and his latest iPod-looking gadget is revolutionizing oral care by putting technology into the hands of the consumer.

Levine’s GLO Brilliant system has been clinically tested to show the device can make teeth five shades lighter in three to five days, a result equal to professional whitening, he said in a phone interview.

Levine, whose dental practice includes such high-profile clients as Dr. Mehmet Oz, Christie Brinkley, Tina Fey, Mariska Hargitay and Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, will be at Sephora Ala Moana from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday to demonstrate the GLO Brilliant device, which he initially created with fellow professionals in mind. It tested so well with his patients that they told him they would like their own version for home use, and Levine made the leap.

He said he got the idea for the device two years ago while riding his bike. "I ride a lot, and while I’m suffering on my bike, I get my best ideas," he said. In this case he was pondering new ways to use light and heat efficiently, and mouthpieces that would hold lightening gels in place.

"I spent the last two years building prototypes, working with light experts, working with plastics experts, molders and manufacturers because the No. 1 reason people go to an aesthetic dentist is to improve their smile, and whitening is the easiest way to make a person look 10 years younger, have a better smile and feel more confident," said Levine, who is also director of New York University’s continuing-education Advanced Aesthetics Program in Dentistry.

The result is a complicated-looking set of gadgets that is no more difficult to set up than buying a new phone, iPod or iPad, charging it up and using it. After charging, users apply refrigerated hydrogen peroxide gel to their teeth, plug in the mouthpiece, press a button and do their chores while whitening in four eight-minute intervals — 32 minutes a day — for up to five days.

"I’m pretty excited about it," Levine said. "I think it’s a game-changer because I’ve been involved with whitening for a long time, and there hasn’t been a new offering in whitening since the late ’80s."

The last innovation in consumer whitening was tooth-adhering strips, he said, but their effect was limited. Meanwhile, patients endured long whitening sessions in aesthetic dental offices that typically use 18 percent to 36 percent hydrogen peroxide gels that often left gums irritated. By contrast, Levine’s consumer-level gel uses a 6 percent to 8 percent hydrogen peroxide formula that, combined with heat and LED light, achieves professional results in less time with little to no sensitivity.

"The way it works is hydrogen peroxide breaks down to water and negative-charged oxygen that oxidizes stains and breaks them down. Light and heat accelerate the breakdown," he said.

Of course, once people see results, some won’t want to stop at five days.

"There’s always going to be people who are overzealous and overwhiten, just like they overtan. It’s a problem because it leads to oversaturation, breaking down the tooth structure from inside so it turns gray.

"You have to follow the instructions and, of course, tell your dentist, ‘Here’s what I’m doing at home.’"

After the initial whitening, users can maintain their results by applying up to four eight-minute applications per month.

The initial purchase is $275 at Sephora, and additional mouthpieces are $79, allowing others in the household to use the device. Additional 10-vial sets of whitening gel are $45.

Levine said he doesn’t believe the device will take business away from aesthetic dentists. He says they’ll be able to use the device in their practice, saving them time while giving clients the option of going home with a unit for self-maintenance.

And without divulging his next innovations, he believes the best is yet to come.

"It’s very interesting, because I see this device as having multiple uses and serving as a platform for other oral health delivery for professional results in your home, and you own it."

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Visit Nadine Kam’s "Fashion Tribe" blog for a video of the process.