Tag Archives: Zoom Whitening

Teeth Whitening

Bleaching Your Teeth With Clorox

I have some household bleach and wondered if that would work for whitening my teeth.

Danny

Dear Danny,

Tooth Bleaching Trays

While it is very possible it will whiten your teeth, I’m going to steer you a different direction. Bleach is a base. You may be familiar with another base–lye, which is extremely corrosive. Bleach is corrosive to organic tissue in a similar way. In fact, many dentists use it in a root canal treatment to dissolve the dead organic tissue left in the tooth.

I’m afraid if you used the bleach from your home, it will damage the tissue inside your mouth. This will cause you a significant amount of unnecessary problems.

The Safest Way to Whiten Your Teeth

If you truly want to whiten your teeth, there are a few ways to safely go about it.

First, you could use over the counter Crest Whitestrips. These will whiten your teeth, albeit much more slowly than professional whitening, so you will have to use quite a few kits. They also have the limitation of only affecting the front six teeth unless you wear more than one strip on each arch.

Second, you can do at home professional teeth whitening. This method uses bleaching trays like the ones pictured above. These are custom-fitted to your teeth and your dentist provides you with a strong bleaching gel to wear in them.

Finally, if you are in a hurry, you can do in-office Zoom Whitening. This will whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

Any one of those are safer options than using household bleach.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Dr. Thimmesch and Foreman.

Teeth Whitening

Brightening My Smile After Quarantine

My state is beginning to open up again and that includes our dentists. Now that I get to be in public I want to brighten up my smile. What recommendations do you have?

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

I have two suggestions for you, depending on your budget and what your ultimate goal is in regard to your smile.

Brightening Your Smile With Teeth Whitening

Woman placing teeth whitening trays on her teeth
At-home teeth whitening with custom fit trays.

This is probably the least expensive way to brighten your smile. Just by whitening your teeth, you can take years off your appearance. Most dental offices will offer at-home whitening which allows you to whiten at home at your convenience. This also has the benefit of just going to the level of whiteness you want on your teeth.

Additionally, if you’re in a hurry and just want them to get as white as they can, some offices office an in-office solution with Zoom Whitening. This will allow you to you whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

Getting a Total Smile Makeover

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth
Porcelain Veneers

If you are looking to get that Hollywood type of smile, then the go-to procedure for a full-mouth reconstruction is to have porcelain veneers placed. While any dentist can do teeth whitening, it does take someone with some expertise and post-doctoral training in cosmetic work to make this work well.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Teeth Whitening

Her AT-Home Bleaching is Causing Pain

I’ve been doing at home bleaching of my teeth with a kit I purchased over the counter. Everything was fine until today. While wearing the gel strip, I had a zing of pain that lasted for about 40 seconds. I noticed the area getting the zing is a tooth where I had a chip repaired. The dentist used dental bonding to repair it. Does this mean the whitening gel is weakening the bonding?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Teeth Whitening Trays

Dental bonding is a great solution for a chipped tooth. Fortunately, the teeth whitening gel will have no effect on the bonding. The problem, based on the type of pain you are describing, likely has to do with there being a sensitive spot on your tooth. Hopefully, you are doing this bleaching under the supervision of a dentist. This way he can treat the sensitive spot.

If you’re just doing this on your own, you’re going to need to see a dentist. Don’t whiten until that spot is treated.  Be careful about DIY kits. While many times they turn out just fine, there have been occasions where it led to a person needing a root canal treatment. Until your dentist treats the area, pause your bleaching.

One thing to be aware of is that teeth whitening gel only works on natural tooth structure. That means everywhere, except where the dental bonding is will whiten. The composite material that repaired your chipped tooth will stay the same color.  This means you will have to redo the bonding to get the tooth uniform. Wait until you reach the level of whitening you want though. Then, wait a week to give the color time to stabilize.

If you ever decide you want to whiten your teeth in just one appointment, ask your dentist about Zoom Whitening.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Emily Foreman.

CEREC

cerec crowns on front teeth

I was in a car accident and damaged both my front teeth. I need to get crowns on them. I am trying to decide between regular crowns and CEREC crowns. Is one better than the other?

Benjamin

Dear Benjamin,

porcelain block for CEREC crown

CEREC crowns are made out of single block of porcelain. This will give it a very uniform look. This works fine on most teeth. However, our front teeth are much more visible and exposed to light.

Natural teeth aren’t uniform. Look at this image of a tooth directly below. There are varying levels of translucency and opaqueness depending on where you are on the tooth.

image of a tooth

When a dentist does a traditional crown, it is built in layers with varying shades of porcelain. This can make a crown look more natural. However, even then, you’d need an expert cosmetic dentist because this takes a high level of skill.

If you really want a CEREC crown, then having an expert cosmetic dentist is even more important. They need to have a high level of skill in color theory so they can use various stains to give it that variated look while keeping that natural translucency.

Cosmetic Considerations with Dental Crowns

The dental crown can be made to match your teeth exactly. However, the color is permanent. If you are happy with the color of your teeth, then you do not need to take any further steps. However, if you want your teeth any whiter, the time to take care of that is before having the crowns designed.

In that case, your first step is to have your teeth whitened. You can do that in one appointment if you see a dentist who does Zoom Whitening.

Then, give it a couple of weeks for the color to calm down. That’s when your dentist can match the permanent color for you.

When you’re talking about front teeth, whether you get a traditional or CEREC crown, you will need a dentist capable of the skills required. I suggest you see an AACD accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Invisalign

If My Teeth Keep Shifting Do I Need to do Invisalign Again?

I had Invisalign years ago and it did a great job. Then I wore a retainer full-time for a year. Even after that was done, I still have to wear one at night. I’ve noticed that my teeth shift quite quickly. Lately, I sometimes can barely get them to fit at night when it’s time to put them in. I almost have to force them on. Do I need to do Invisalign over again? I was really hoping to move on to the next part of my smile makeover—teeth whitening. I feel like I’m taking a step back.

Corinne

Dear Corinne,

A woman placing in her Invisalign aligners

It sounds like your teeth aren’t firming up. Doing Invisalign again won’t make any difference it that case. Some people just have to wear a retainer full-time to keep their teeth in place. That doesn’t mean you’ll need a mouth full of metal for the rest of your life.

There are lingual retainers they can bond to the back of your teeth. No one will even know it’s there. However, if your teeth have shifted out of a position you’re happy with then it would make sense to re-do part of the treatment. In those cases, it doesn’t take long. there’s even an Invisalign express for people who don’t need much movement. From there you could switch to a retainer.

Invisalign and Teeth Whitening

None of this will interfere with your smile makeover goals. Either way, you can move forward. If you need to move things back into place and have to redo part of your Invisalign, you could still get your teeth whitened without waiting. The clear aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. Your cosmetic dentist can provide you with professional whitening gel. You simply place the gel in your aligners and wear them for a minimum of 20 minutes a day.

If you don’t need to wear the aligners and choose to go straight to a lingual retainer, you could just do the teeth whitening as you normally would. That gives you two options.

Traditional Whitening

You could choose traditional whitening where you wear custom-made teeth whitening trays that your dentist designs for you. You wear them at your convenience, though many people choose to sleep in them. The biggest benefits to this method are cost and control. It’s slightly less expensive. It also enables you to determine how much whitening you want. Once you reach the level you’re hoping for you simply stop using the gel.

Zoom Whitening

If you want to get it done quickly, you can use Zoom Whitening. That will allow you to whiten your teeth in just one appointment. It will get them their whitest, so you have less control than if you did the tray whitening. But, if you want your teeth as white as possible as quickly as possible, this is the way to go.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

CEREC

Which Dentists Do CEREC Crowns on Front Teeth?

I keep hearing no CEREC crowns on front teeth, but surely there have to be dentists who do it. Is there a way to go about finding those dentists?

May

Dear May,

Machine for CEREC Crowns
Can you get beautiful crowns from a CEREC machine?

Great question! You can certainly find a dentist who will give you a CEREC crown on your front teeth, but what you want is a dentist who can do it well. The first thing you need to look for is a top-notch cosmetic dentist. The best of the best are dentists who’ve reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are among the top 1% of dentists in the country.

If it’s milled by machine, why does the dentist need to be so artistic? Another great question. It’s specifically because they’re milled by machine. Until recently, CEREC machines would only mill from a single block of porcelain. There are new machines which can mill with gradients. But, many dentists just finished investing in the older CEREC machines and aren’t able to scrap it for the new one. They don’t come cheap.

That doesn’t mean they can’t create you a gorgeous crown. With expertise in color theory, they can create the gradient with the way they color the tooth. But again, only the best of the best can do that.

Consideration When Getting Crowns on Front Teeth

When you’re talking about the most visible part of your smile, you want it to be as beautiful as possible. Once the crown is created, the color on it cannot be changed. You not only want the tooth to look natural and beautiful, but to match the surrounding teeth as well.

So, if your teeth are in need of a little brightening, the time to do it is before your crown is created. Teeth whitening is a quick and easy way to give your smile a boost. If you want, you can even do it in just one appointment using in-office Zoom Whitening.

Once you have the color you’re pleased with, your dentist can match the CEREC crown to it exactly.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Cosmetic Dentist

Zoom or Take Home Whitening?

I’m getting my teeth whitened, but am trying to decide between Zoom Whitening and Take-Home Whitening. Will I need a cosmetic dentist or can my family dentist to it?

Lisa R. – Colorado

Lisa,

I’ll answer your second question first. Any dentist can do teeth whitening. It’s a fairly simple procedure. If you were getting something like porcelain veneers, then you would definitely want a dentist with cosmetic training. However, if your family dentist doesn’t have a Zoom Whitening System, then you’re down to one option. Not every dentist invests in one.

As to which procedure, that depends on your goals. If you’re wanting your teeth as white as they can be as quickly as possible, Zoom is your best option.

On the other hand, if you want more control over the level of whiteness or want to do it gradually, then take-home teeth whitening is a better fit for you. Either way, you’ll get beautiful, white teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

Uncategorized

My front teeth crowns’ color mismatches

I recently got my front two teeth (incisors) capped with porcelain crowns and to my horror they are of not the similar shade as the rest of my teeth, they are in fact ,very much of a LIGHTER shade, and is very prominent when I talk! What do I do now? Is there any way to stain them a little? It cost me a lot to get them in the first place and I don’t think I can afford to break them and get another pair.

Thanks, Richard

Dear Richard,

Sorry to hear that you are not happy with the shade of your new porcelain crowns. Unfortunately the crowns are already cemented in your mouth so they cannot be stained to make them darker because it is very difficult to remove an anterior crown without causing damage to it. We recommend you talk to your dentist about your situation. You could have your teeth whitened to make them lighter so your crowns aren’t so noticeable or ask your dentist to replace them.  Next time you have cosmetics done ask your dentist for a mirror before he cements your crowns in your mouth to make sure you are happy with the color.

Post courtesy of Dr. Malone, Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist

Uncategorized

Which is best, Zoom whitening or at-home teeth whitening?

In your professional opinion, which is better, Zoom whitening, or one of those at-home whitening systems? I know your office does the Zoom whitening, but I trust you to give me an honest opinion.

Heather in St. Joseph

Dear Heather –

The short answer to your question is “It depends.” Used according to the instructions, both at-home and Zoom whitening systems yield similar results. Deciding which system is best for you depends a lot on your personality, time constraints, budget, and the nature of the stains on your teeth.

At-home whitening systems need to be applied every day, according to a specific set of instructions. It can take weeks or even months to see results. If your personality lends itself to this kind of patient, consistent approach, then an at-home whitening system would be great for you. They are less expensive than Zoom whitening, so if you have more time than money, an at-home system might be the right choice for you.

Zoom whitening is accomplished in one or two visits to your dentist’s office. If you have a tight schedule, or tend to have trouble sticking to a strict routine, Zoom whitening is a great choice for you. It is more expensive than an at-home system, but many people consider the savings in time to be more than worth the difference in price.

I do recommend checking with your dentist before you go with an at-home system, as some stains will not respond to teeth whitening procedures. If your teeth are stained by tobacco, coffee, tea or some foods (such as berries), an at-home or Zoom whitening procedure will be effective. If your teeth have tetracycline stains, then you will have to make different choices to get whiter teeth. Zoom whitening (or at-home systems) are not very effective in treating tetracycline stains. In fact, sometimes the tetracycline staining is MORE noticeable after a whitening procedure is done.

Also, if you have a tooth or teeth that have become discolored after root canal treatment, that tooth will have to be taken into consideration during the whitening process. If that is your situation, you really should consider having your whitening done under the watchful eye of your dentist.

I hope this information helps.