Zoom!® Tooth Whitening FAQ

San Diego, California

What causes teeth to become discolored?
Most commonly it is:

Pigmented food and drink such as black tea, red wine, blackberries, blueberries, and coffee
Tobacco use
Aging

If a child is given tetracycline while teeth are developing, the teeth will be stained at a more deep level, hard if not impossible to remove. Good dental hygiene removes a lot of superficial staining and regular professional cleanings remove even more. But over the years, most of us develop yellowed teeth, perhaps with other spots and stains, so tooth whitening has become the most popular of all cosmetic dentistry procedures.

What tooth whitening procedures are available?
There are two basic categories.

In-office professional whitening.
This way the whitening is typically done in one office visit, which gives you a dramatic difference in tooth color. We use the Zoom!® system. A bleaching gel is applied to the teeth, and a protective gel to the soft mouth tissue. An activating light is directed at the whitening gel. The whitening agent in the gel is usually hydrogen peroxide.
In-office whitening typically takes about an hour for the treatment itself, plus some time for preparation beforehand and follow-up afterwards. The Zoom! system includes a follow-up kit you can take home and use for touch-ups later on.
At home with a professional take-home kit
Dr. Loye would have a pair of customized trays made for you which will fit closely around each tooth. The kit would contain several syringes of whitening gel which is activated as you squeeze it out into the trays. You would place a small drop in each tooth place in the trays and wear them for 30 to 40 minutes each day. Some people wear them overnight for convenience. However, the whitening agent stops working after about 40 minutes.
This is clearly a more gradual process than in-office procedures, with results usually finalizing in two or three weeks, depending on how stained your teeth were to begin with. You can keep whatever whitening gel you don’t use for touch-ups later on.

What about all the tooth whitening products in the stores?
They are fairly ineffective.

The whitening gel is weaker than what a cosmetic dentist uses
The trays in those kits are generic and would almost certainly not fit well over your teeth. This would cause uneven whitening, as our teeth whiten only while they’re in contact with the whitening agent.
Whitening toothpaste does nothing, for that same reason: teeth whiten while in contact with a whitening agent. We don’t spend 30 or 40 minutes brushing our teeth each day.

Besides being ineffective, whitening toothpastes damage your teeth in the long run. The “whitening” agent they contain is an abrasive ingredient like baking soda. This will gradually remove some of your tooth enamel and your teeth will look more yellow. The layer beneath enamel is the dentin layer, which is yellow, and it will start to show through the thinning enamel.

Does tooth whitening hurt?
Typically, no. Some people have extra sensitive teeth though, and it might be somewhat uncomfortable for them. But if so, and you’re having an in-office treatment, you can ask for a break, and for desensitizing gel to be applied. If you have a take-home kit, it will include some desensitizing gel which you can squeeze into your two trays instead of whitening gel, and wear the trays that way for a day or two. This usually takes care of any sensitivity.

How white could my teeth become?
That will depend on (a) how good your dental hygiene is in the months and years afterwards; and (b) why your teeth are stained in the first place. If you brush and floss faithfully and go for regular cleanings and check-ups, your bright white teeth will more likely stay that way. Also, if you cut down on darkly pigmented food and drink, and avoid tobacco, you’ll keep your bright smile for longer.

Stains that are deeply embedded in the teeth will not be removed by a teeth whitening procedure, as the whitening gel can’t reach down through the entire tooth structure. If your staining was caused by tetracycline in your childhood, or an accident or trauma which affected how your teeth developed, that staining will be very difficult to remove. But an experienced cosmetic dentist may be able to at least partially remove it. We offer extra deep bleaching, so if you have deep stains, you have come to the right place.

You could also have porcelain veneers on your front teeth, which would permanently cover the staining in your smile, and give your teeth new surfaces altogether.

How long will it last?
Because life happens, it will slowly fade, over the years. But you can do touch-ups with the whitening gel in your take-home kit that you didn’t use; or you can get more gel from Dr. Loye. Keep those customized trays in your kit for future use. If you had an in-office procedure using Zoom!, you will be given a follow-up kit with more whitening gel, and this will extend the life of your bright smile.

Your best strategy for prolonging the whiteness is by good daily brushing and flossing, with regular professional cleaning, and no tobacco use.