The Difference between Zoom! Whitening and Take-Home Tray Whitening
By Mina Levi, DDS 02/20/2014
Teeth whitening is a popular choice for those who wish to enhance their smile cosmetically. The teeth whitening procedure has been around for thirty to forty years, and does not damage the structure of the tooth in any way. Today, there are two main teeth whitening options at the dental office of Dr. Mina Levi, DDS. The first is traditional tray whitening, and the other is the new Zoom! LED light in-office whitening. In this article, we discuss the procedures in detail with pros and cons of both.
Take-Home Tray Whitening
Procedure:
1. First, the patient makes an appointment to come into the office and have impressions taken of their
teeth. Custom-made whitening trays will be fabricated in the office from these impressions.
2. A few days later, the patient will come back to the office to pick up their trays and receive the whitening gel, which is between 8-32% carbomide peroxide gel.
3. Dr. Mina Levi will give the patient instructions on how to load the whitening gel into the trays, and advise that they wear the trays for about fifteen minutes per day for two weeks.
Pros:
· Produces the same desired outcome of the Zoom! procedure if the patient has been consistently following directions for the entire two weeks.
· Patients can do a touch-up of whitening at any time because they will always have the trays available to them, all they have to do is pick up more whitening gel.
Cons:
· The tray whitening procedure takes a long time to achieve the desired effect. Many patients are excited and keep up with the whitening for a few days and then are not consistent.
· The tray whitening procedure is also inconvenient for patients since it needs to be done every day, which is the main reason that patients do not stick with it throughout the entire process.
· Dark-colored foods like pasta sauce and red wine must be avoided the entire time whitening is taking place, for about two to three weeks.
Zoom! Whitening
Procedure: 
1. The patient will make one appointment at which they will be sat in a dental chair and their gums will be covered with a protecting gel, so that their gums aren’t damaged in the process.
2. The patient will then undergo three fifteen-minute sessions of the Zoom! light with a 25% hydrogen peroxide gel applied to the teeth.
Pros:
· The Zoom! procedure is instant and requires one single office visit. This is convenient for patients who want instant results, especially if there is a deadline or event that is taken into consideration.
· The Zoom! procedure is proven to whiten teeth up to eight shades in the forty-five minutes the patient will be at the office.
Cons:
· The Zoom! procedure is a bit more expensive than the tray whitening option.
· Can cause “zingers” in the teeth which are tiny zaps that the patient may feel. They last no longer than a second or two and can be felt for twelve to twenty-four hours after the procedure. The “zingers” depend on the patients’ sensitivity.
If you have an interest in whitening your teeth and have any questions or concerns regarding either the Zoom! procedure or the tray whitening procedure, visit Dentist San Francisco Mina Levi DDS on the web at www.minalevidds.com or give us a call at (415) 513-5066. If you aren’t sure if teeth whitening is for you, the dental office of Mina Levi, DDS also offers “Lumismile” which shows you what your teeth can look like if they are whitened.
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