I talked to my dentist about solutions for my tetracycline stains. I cannot afford porcelain veneers and told him that. His suggestion is that I use Zoom Whitening because it is very strong. Before I get my hopes up about this solution, I wanted to get a second opinion. Do you think this is a viable solution for my smile?

Kelli

Dear Kelli,

I appreciate that your dentist is trying to find a solution for you that does not include porcelain veneers. He was sort of on the right track. If you are persistent enough, and I mean really persistent, then teeth whitening can greatly improve the look of your smile, even with tetracycline stains. It will not look as beautiful as porcelain veneers would when done by and expert cosmetic dentist, but it can make a big difference. The downside is that it will take many months.

Because of the amount of whitening necessary to make a real impact, I don’t think Zoom Whitening is your best option. It is more expensive than tray whitening and you will need so many treatments that it will not be cost effective.

My suggestion is that you have at-home tray whitening done. Your dentist will make you custom-fitted trays for your teeth and then can provide you with whitening gel that you will wear at your convenience. The longer you can wear them each day, the faster your teeth will whiten. It is much more affordable for you to keep purchasing new gel to put in the bleaching trays, than it will be to do additional Zoom treatments.

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