Are your yellow teeth embarrassing in a public situation? How about you think of getting Zoom Teeth Whitening to whiten them?
We know that getting in-office treatments may not be your first option.
You will experiment with home remedies and teeth whitening kits.
However, the time and money you spend on these are equal to getting better results in only one professional whitening session.
Therefore, if you are deciding to get a whitening treatment, this article discusses the popular whitening treatment in detail.
Learn below how you can prepare for the procedure and maintain results for a long time.
Why Do You Need to Whiten Teeth?
You may think that whitening your teeth is not a necessity but a luxury.
However, yellow teeth are signs of plaque and bacteria accumulation inside your teeth.
Therefore, if you do not clean your teeth properly, the plaque can worsen resulting in gingivitis.
Gingivitis can later worsen to periodontal disease whereby you even risk losing a tooth.
The first step of getting a whitening treatment is teeth cleaning.
Your dentist begins by cleaning your teeth to get rid of all plaque and tartar.
This prevents the risk of diseases going forward.
Moreover, having white teeth can make you more confident in public situations.
Whereas stained teeth can reduce your self-esteem and make you self-conscious.
Your teeth stains can be extrinsic or intrinsic.
Extrinsic stains are on the surface of the teeth.
You can usually get these because of colored foods and drinks.
Examples include the likes of berries, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, coffee, tea, red wine, white wine and sodas.
All these foods and drinks are heavily colored and can leave stains on teeth.
Moreover, they are also acidic.
So, they not only stain teeth but also encourage the buildup of bacteria.
A smoking stain is also an extrinsic stain as it only discolors the surface of the tooth.
However, intrinsic stains do not leave a stain on the surface of the tooth but on the internal dentin.
This usually happens because of :
- Age
- Injury
- Medicines and Antibiotics use (such as tetracyclines)
- Fluoride exposure
As you age, your tooth enamel wears down, and the layer beneath your enamel exposes.
This is the dentin. It is usually darker than the enamel since the beginning.
An antibiotic use of tetracyclines to children younger than 8 years of age or a pregnant woman can also result in intrinsic stains.
Furthermore, an injury can cause internal bleeding or kill roots of the teeth causing them to stain.
Besides that overuse of fluoride at a young age can cause fluorosis and your teeth to darken.
You can try removing extrinsic stains by using home remedies and teeth whitening kits.
However, you cannot do the same for intrinsic discoloration.
Since these treatments work on the enamel then they are not effective for intrinsic stains.
Though, treatments in a dental clinic such as Zoom, deliver whitening agents to the enamel and dentin.
Hence, you can only whiten your intrinsic stains in a dentist’s office.
Want to know how? Let’s find out below!
Zoom Teeth Whitening Procedure Steps
There are three steps of this treatment.
First, you will consult your dentist and make preparations according to their suggestions.
Next, is the procedure itself which lasts only an hour.
Lastly, your dentist will guide you on aftercare so that you maintain results for longer.
Step 1: Consultation and Preparation
First, visit your dentist to identify if this is the best procedure for you.
They will give you the option of laser teeth whitening vs zoom.
While laser targets each tooth separately, Zoom targets all of them at once to give a uniform result.
Furthermore, they will discuss the whitening product to use and your oral habits to see if after whitening you will not return to poor oral hygiene.
Furthermore, your dentist will check if you are the right candidate for the treatment.
Whitening does not work on crowns and veneers.
Moreover, this treatment is not suitable for pregnant women and children below 13 years.
Before the procedure, your dentist will clean your teeth for the whitening to be effective.
Next, they match your tooth color to the Zoom color scale and decide on how much whiteness you require.
You should quit smoking a while before you begin the procedure.
Moreover, do not eat something which can result in a gag reflex.
Have your last meal a while before the dentist begins the procedure.
Step 2: Treatment
Firstly, your dentist will cover your lips and gums so that the bleaching agent does not irritate them.
Next, they apply the hydrogen peroxide Zoom Advanced hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel directly to your teeth.
This bleaching agent is stronger and has a higher concentration of peroxide base than those found over-the-counter.
It targets the stains by breaking their molecular bonds.
Hence, lifting them away from the surface of the tooth.
Next, they activate the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed Whitening LED light.
Your dentist will give you glasses beforehand so that it does not penetrate your eyes.
This light emits on the whitening gel and speeds the process.
Moreover, it delivers oxygen from the gel to the enamel and dentin, resulting in whitening.
This is one of the three 15 minute sessions that you will get during this treatment.
This process repeats thrice for a total of 45 minutes.
It is done thrice to achieve your desires results.
When the light and gel are working to break stains and remove discoloration you can relax.
Step 3: Zoom Whitening Aftercare and Results
As you finish the 3, 15-minute sessions, your dentist applies fluoride toothpaste or gel to reduce tooth sensitivity.
In order to be effective, this procedure removes the pellicle layer from your teeth.
The pellicle is responsible for protecting you against sensitivity.
Therefore, you can feel sensitivity and an electric sensation on your teeth during the procedure.
So, either you can take a tablet of ibuprofen before the procedure, or your dentist will apply a fluoride gel as soon as you finish the procedure.
The heat from the light can cause also cause minor discomfort so ask your dentist about using anti-sensitivity toothpaste a while before the treatment.
The results of the treatment can last up to a year if you take good care of your teeth.
Your dentist will also give you Zoom teeth whitening at-home touch-up kit to use to maintain results longer.
They will take an impression of your teeth and make a custom-fit mouthguard.
You can add the gel to the mouthguard and use it occasionally afterward to maintain results.
Moreover, they will restrict you from taking colored foods and drinks.
It is better to quit coffee, tea and sodas and red wine.
But if you cannot, then you should at least try to limit their use.
However, your teeth will stain if you fall back into smoking and that too quickly.
Do not render your treatment useless by smoking again.
They can get a yellow-brown hue, therefore, quit smoking.
Furthermore, maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing so that you do not accumulate plaque and bacteria.
This way the results of your procedure can even last longer than a year.
You can see up to 8 shades of whiteness using this procedure.
However, most people get up to 2 to 3 shades of whiter teeth.
Zoom Teeth Whitening- FAQ’s
1. Does Zoom whitening hurt?
You may feel a slight tingling sensation, heat and cold during the procedure.
The procedure removes your pellicle layer hence, your teeth will feel slightly sensitive.
This can cause a tingling sensation or zingers.
Furthermore, the gel is cold and the laser light emits heat.
However, none of these sensations are exactly painful.
They can be slightly uncomfortable but your dentist will advise you to take medicine and apply anti-sensitivity gel beforehand.
They will also apply a fluoride gel after the procedure to reduce sensitivity pain.
2. How long does Zoom Whitening take?
The procedure is repeated thrice each time with a higher intensity of light or the peroxide base gel.
This helps to achieve the optimum result according to your expectations.
Each time, your dentist will let the gel and light sit on your teeth for 15 minutes.
Hence, the procedure will take only 45 minutes to an hour.
You can get it done within your lunch break and get by your day as usual.
There is no downtime but you will have to be careful about what you eat or drink.
You should spare at least 2 hours for this treatment.
3. How long does Zoom whitening last?
The exact white shades of your teeth can last up to a year or two.
However, this will greatly depend on your oral care and hygiene.
If you slide back into drinking coffee and tea regularly, then you are likely to stain your teeth soon enough.
So, these whitening treatments are as effective as you will like to keep them.
Summing Up
Zoom teeth whitening can whiten your teeth up to 8 shades lighter.
This can help you regain confidence and smile widely to your heart’s content.
Keep results effective longer by maintaining oral hygiene.
Dr. Amal Al Qedrah Medical Center
Royal European Specialist Polyclinic