Your smile is the first thing a person will notice about you and is often said to be a person’s best accessory. It is here that others will find an indication as to whether you are putting forth a friendly vibe and the willingness to be social. It helps leaps and bounds in making a good first impression. Healthy, white teeth is also an indication of good hygiene and youth. Years of bad habits and wear and tear takes away this natural brightness. Luckily for us all, we live in a time where getting whiter teeth is just a trip to the dentist away. In-office teeth whitening will offer you the best results for a whiter smile with a bonus of it being done under a professional. The process is such that the tooth is bleached to be a couple of shades lighter. Still, different dentists prefer different teeth whitening techniques. At Family Dental Care we have chosen the Zoom teeth whitening system.

About Zoom Teeth Whitening

Zoom teeth whitening makes use of a gel and light combo. The Zoom gel is used to whiten teeth. The light is used to accelerate the activation of the gel. With this speed, the stained portion of the enamel is bleached at a faster rate, thereby causing no damage to the structure of the tooth. Zoom teeth whitening takes about an hour to complete with immediate results. This system has been proven to be safe with long lasting results. Compared with other teeth whitening methods, Zoom offers a shorter turnaround time for results and a process handled entirely by a dental professional which would negate the need for you to have to go through days and weeks of at home whitening strips and tray methods. If the directions of our dentist is followed, the Zoom teeth whitening results can be maintained for years to come. Zoom is an affordable treatment, needing only an hour of your time and really is an investment in yourself. Not having that inviting, bright smile brings down your social interactions and takes up your age. The Zoom teeth whitening process takes just an hour, so it can easily be fitted into your schedule. At Family Dental Care, the Zoom treatment can be done at any of our branches in Durban that is nearest to you.

The Zoom Teeth Whitening Process

• The first step in Zoom teeth whitening is a consultation with our dentist. This is your time to have any concerns addressed and for our dentist to do a full work up on your dental situation and be confident that you are a viable candidate for Zoom teeth whitening. The whitening of primary teeth or adult teeth which are around a year old should not be whitened. Next up is to check up on the teeth’s status in terms of infections or cavities. These will have to be cleaned out and dental fillings or crowns used to bring back the structure of the tooth. Crowns, fillings or veneers provide a bit of an obstacle when getting teeth whitened. These additions to the mouth cannot be manipulated into another colour. The dentist will have to work to maintain a uniformity in the mouth in terms of whiteness in this case. A tip for those of you who would be in line for dental fillings, veneers or crowns in the future would be to cater for any possible teeth whitening and get a shade in anticipation of this scenario. For most people, a dental clean is sufficient before getting Zoom teeth whitening done. At this stage, the dentist will capture the current colour of the teeth. Before the actual whitening process can begin, precautions must be taken to protect the soft tissue in the mouth, which is why they are covered up. These include the tongue, gums and lips. The mouth will have to be left open for the duration of the Zoom teeth whitening treatment, which is done with the aid of a retractor device.
• The second step is the main event of the session. This is when the Zoom teeth whitening gel will be carefully applied onto only the teeth. Once all surface areas are covered, the Zoom light will be placed over it. This session is 45 minutes long, though it is broken down into three 15 minute sessions, where the dentist is able to adjust the lighting as per each patient’s unique needs during each session. During this time you would relax, listen to music or watch television to make the time fly by. Once the 45 minutes are over, the dentist will turn off the Zoom light, remove the gel and all of the protective layers placed in the mouth. The lips are also given this protective layer, so it would be good to bring along some chap stick to counter any lip dryness after the treatment is done. The dentist will then compare the before and after results with you. A small percentage of patients may experience a minute amount of sensitivity which goes away after a few days. Majority go back to their daily activities right after the treatment. If cavities or infections would have had to be removed, then these would have required for the use of anaesthesia which will take a few hours to wear off.
• The third step is to be handled by the patient. The dentist will lay out detailed instructions on this. The first would be the Zoom at home kit which is to be used to maintain the results achieved by the in-office treatment. The teeth will be susceptible to staining for about 2 days after the whitening treatment. During this time it is imperative for patients not to indulge in food with high staining capabilities such as wine, sodas and coffees. Daily at home cleaning will keep teeth in a good healthy shape as will twice yearly dentist visits.

Patients who have the Zoom teeth whitening treatment done, leave the dentist office an hour later, with quite literally, a new smile.