If discolored, stained, or dull teeth take the confidence out of your smile, you may have thought about whitening to tackle your less-than-pearly whites.
But with many teeth whitening choices, from over-the-counter products — like whitening toothpaste, charcoal treatments, and whitening strips — to in-office professional systems, it’s hard to know which is right for you.
Our whitening experts at Robert F. Wilcox, DMD, PC, understand. Our office is one of the most trusted sources for teeth whitening in Butte, Montana. Our experienced professionals offer the Philips Zoom! in-office whitening system to give our patients amazing results in as little as one appointment.
To help you understand how professional teeth whitening with Zoom! differs from home whitening, our dental experts created this guide. Read on to learn more.
It couldn’t be easier to get whiter, brighter teeth than with the Zoom! whitening system. First, Dr. Wilcox examines your teeth to ensure you’re a suitable candidate for professional whitening treatment.
Some types of discoloration, such as discoloration that results from dental trauma, tetracycline exposure, or excessive fluoride exposure, don’t respond to professional or at-home teeth whitening.
Dr. Wilcox also checks to see if you have any oral health issues that he should treat before whitening.
At your whitening appointment, we protect your gums with a rubber dam, then fill a retainer with a whitening solution and fit it snugly over your teeth. The safe-to-use bleaching agents in the Zoom! whitening solution break down staining pigments on your teeth.
Finally, we use a special light to enhance your results. The Zoom! light penetrates deeper into your teeth to get rid of stains and areas of discoloration.
With Zoom! and our smile experts at Robert F. Wilcox, DMD, PC, you may have teeth up to eight shades lighter after a single one-hour appointment.
All teeth whitening products may brighten your teeth a little, but professional teeth whitening with Zoom! is one of the most effective ways to fix your smile. Home whitening products are less effective and sometimes even dangerous to use.
Home whitening products don’t need approval from the Food and Drug Administration since they’re considered cosmetic, a lightly regulated category. This means some home whiteners are extremely strong and can damage your gums and even your overall health if ingested.
But with most home whiteners, strength isn’t the problem. These whiteners are typically much weaker than the whitening agent you get from professional teeth whitening.
Since at-home whitening kits aren’t customized for you, the bleaching solution frequently leaks out. When the bleaching solution sits on your gums, they become irritated. In some cases, the color of your gums may change temporarily.
Leaking bleaching solution also increases tooth sensitivity, making at-home whitening painful for some people.
Since the special Zoom! light reaches all of your teeth simultaneously, professional teeth whitening is more effective. Most at-home treatments only whiten your six front teeth.
Professional whitening is also a faster process (usually about an hour), instead of weeks as with home whitening options.
With professional teeth whitening, you don’t have to wait to get the smile of your dreams. Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Wilcox by calling our Butte, Montana, office.
