ZOOM!® Teeth Whitening

Am I a Candidate for Teeth Whitening?

We can whiten your teeth in one appointment for immediate results, or customize a take-home professional whitening kit to whiten your teeth gradually at home.

Teeth can become stained as a result of everyday life. Coffee, tea, red wine, colas and other dark beverages and foods cause gray, brown and yellowish teeth staining over time. And, not only is smoking a health risk, it causes dark teeth stains that are nearly impossible to remove with regular brushing alone.

Most teeth can be whitened, or bleached, with a whitening treatment performed by a dentist. Our dental whitening procedure uses an isolation process to apply bleaching ingredients that interact with tooth enamel to break through old stains and reveal fresh, bright, clean tooth surfaces.

Teeth Whitening in Combination with Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures

Some patients have deep internal teeth staining from childhood illnesses and medications; it may be possible to use multiple teeth whitening procedures to lighten tooth surfaces and make these areas less noticeable. In some cases it is necessary to cover the natural teeth with cosmetic porcelain ceramic veneers or crowns to achieve the desired result. Typically in these situations, the front teeth are restored with ceramics and the back teeth are whitened to create a uniform smile appearance.

If you have older dental work, such as tooth-colored fillings or porcelain-metal crowns, whitening will not affect these materials; replacement procedures will be considered, including ceramic crowns, veneers or cosmetic tooth bonding.

Know your options.  Are you interested in solutions to improve the appearance of stained teeth or old dental work? Schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation with Dr. Zanthos to explore possibilities that make sense for your smile and your dental health.

How does ZOOM!® Teeth Whitening work?

We can help you choose the whitening procedure that works best for your dental health and your schedule:

In-office ZOOM!® Teeth Whitening

ZOOM!® in-office teeth whitening uses a patented combination of hydrogen peroxide-based gel and light acceleration to lighten your teeth up to 8 shades in about an hour.

• After you are seated comfortably in the dental chair with a magazine or your favorite podcast, we will place the isolation materials around your teeth to get ready for your whitening process. The gums, lips and oral soft tissue are covered and protected, leaving the tooth enamel surfaces available for optimal contact time with the whitening solution.

• Dr. Zanthos and our clinical team will apply the ZOOM!® whitening gel to the tooth enamel and activate the process with the ZOOM!® light.

• The whitening process is completed in three 15-minute cycles; the whitening gel is re-applied with each new cycle.

• After your whitening process is complete, we remove the barrier materials and apply the ZOOM!® post-treatment gel to reduce sensitivity.

• We reveal your ‘before and after’ results and send you home with a touch-up kit for maintaining your lighter teeth shade.

Professional Take-Home Teeth Whitening

Home whitening is accomplished using a set of upper and lower plastic arch trays fitted to your teeth. The plastic trays are custom-designed to fit over your teeth, so they are comfortable and help keep the whitening gel from leaking out or becoming diluted by saliva. Wearing your whitening trays filled with the gel solution for about an hour a day usually lightens the teeth after a few weeks.

What is the difference between in-office teeth whitening and take-home teeth whitening?

It is possible to get similar results with both in-office teeth whitening and take-home whitening; the main difference is the timeline to your desired shade.

If you have a special event like a wedding or prom coming up soon, you may prefer in-office whitening for a faster result. If you are not in a hurry, or just need to touch-up a previous whitening treatment, home application trays may be the best option for you.

Some patients with very sensitive teeth prefer gradual at-home whitening to help minimize any potential discomfort. If you have sensitive teeth, you can still whiten, just ask us how!

Does Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening work?

Most over-the-counter whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide, which does whiten teeth. Not all over-the-counter products are the same, however, and post-whitening tooth sensitivity can be very different for each person (and difficult to treat on your own).

The advantage of professional teeth whitening at your dentist office is in the proven effectiveness and greater strength of the whitening ingredients, the detailed application process, and personalized post-treatment sensitivity management.

So, you get more predictable results with professional whitening along with the support and assistance of Dr. Zanthos and our team.

Cosmetic Dentist Exam & Consultation

Teeth whitening is a safe, non-invasive and economical way to improve your smile appearance. Prior to whitening your teeth, Dr. Zanthos will examine your teeth to advise you on the health of your smile and the best whitening method for your needs.

Are you ready for your new ZOOM!® Smile?

Contact Premier Family Dentistry to talk with our friendly dental team about ZOOM!® teeth whitening services available at our Alabaster dental office.