As the summer weather gets warmer, more people start asking about whitening their teeth. There are lots of reasons to want a bright smile – weddings, al fresco dining, barbecue and beach parties, and other special events. Or, maybe it’s just that our teeth don’t look quite as bright in warm-weather colors!
Whatever the reason, professional teeth whitening is one of the most affordable and noticeable ways to transform your smile, It’s not surprising that so many people choose to have their teeth whitened at our office.
The Zoom Whitening Procedure: Whiter Teeth in 3 Easy Steps!
There are a few common professional teeth whitening systems available. At Potomac Dental Group, we offer Zoom® laser teeth whitening treatment. So, what is Zoom Teeth Whitening, and how does it work? These are the three steps we follow with our Zoom patients:
Step 1: Get Ready
Zoom Teeth Whitening is an in-office procedure. The Zoom whitening procedure itself takes about an hour, but expect the entire appointment, including the exam, to take about 90 minutes, give or take. To begin, you’ll have a quick exam to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy enough for whitening and to check if you have any dental restorations such as bridges or crowns. If you haven’t had a cleaning recently, you may need to get one. (In fact, if it’s been some time since your last professional dental cleaning, we suggest a full dental cleaning before investing in whitening!) Once everything is in order, we’ll make a note of your current tooth shade so that we can track your progress through your whitening sessions.
Step 2: Get Whitened
The actual Zoom whitening procedure starts with protecting your gums and soft tissue. Translation: we put in cheek retractors and enough cotton rolls to keep your top and bottom teeth from touching each other. Next, we paint a protective layer on your gums. The whitening agent used in Zoom is powerful, so it’s important to be thorough in this step.
Once that’s done, we put a layer of the Zoom whitening agent on your teeth (front surfaces only) and set the laser light in front of your teeth. Once the whitening starts, we set the clock for 15 minutes. A full Zoom whitening procedure consists of 4, 15-minute sessions.
Step 3: Go Turn Heads
After each session, we may add more whitening agents, or adjust the light. We’ll check the progress to see how your teeth are doing. Some sessions go so well that some folks choose to end early so their teeth don’t get blindingly white. Others will go the full hour. While we can’t guarantee a particular result or shade, many patients see a change of 2 to 3 shades and notice a big difference.
Zoom teeth whitening won’t last forever, but it can last for years, and the best way to get the most out of your investment is to keep up with your regular dental check-up and cleaning visits, as well as your at-home routine of brushing and flossing.
Interested in Zoom teeth whitening? Please contact us to make an appointment as soon as possible, so we can get started!
At Potomac Dental Group, our promise to patients is to educate them about their teeth so they are empowered to make more informed decisions about their oral health and aesthetics. To schedule your next visit to our office, please contact our team.
