Before embarking on your in-office Zoom whitening
You will have at least 1-2 appointments before we dedicate an appointment for you for Zoom whitening
It is our practice policy to have a full examination of your oral conditions before we allow any whitening procedure to be done AND any oral conditions must be addressed before we start on ANY whitening procedures. The examinations and the subsequent treatments will be a separate cost to the Zoom whitening.
Oral conditions including but not limited to:
- Wisdom tooth extractions
- Gum diseases
- Regular dental cleaning
- Fillings needed to be done
- Crowns, bridges and veneers
- Any cosmetic dental procedures
- Root canal treatments
Once your oral conditions have been addressed, we will take an impression (or a print) of your mouth and make a special whitening tray for you (which is included in the Zoom whitening). This tray is to help you prepare for the whitening as well as for future touch-ups.
Once the tray has been made, 1 week before the Zoom appointment:
- After brushing and flossing, place a small amount of relief gel in the centre of each tooth compartment marked on your whitening tray. Place the gel onto the front surface of the tooth compartment only.
- Use the gel sparingly and do not overfill the compartments otherwise the gel will be used quicker than normal.
- Insert the trays with two (2) hands as this will be more stable and will reduce the chance of placing the whitening gel onto your gums
- Use a finger or a wet towel to remove any excess gel which may be on your gums or on the outer surface of the tray.
- After 30-45 minutes, remove the trays from your mouth and thoroughly rinse the tray with cold water ONLY. Use a gentle brush without toothpaste to remove any excess gel from your teeth (if necessary).
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 every night until the day of the Zoom bleaching.
1 hour before the Zoom appointment
Take 2 tablets of paracetamol (Panadol). This will help you reduce the sensitivity during the bleaching.
Zoom bleaching takes three to four 15 minute cycles to complete. So make sure that you have your transport arrangements well prepared beforehand as it can take a while.
After care instructions – Zoom whitening
Congratulations on embarking on a journey to a brighter smile! Here are some of the instructions to help you for your Zoom whitening touch-ups:
Instructions
- After brushing and flossing, place a small amount of whitening gel in the centre of each tooth compartment marked on your whitening tray. Place the gel onto the front surface of the tooth compartment only.
- Use the gel sparingly and do not overfill the compartments otherwise the gel will be used quicker than normal and you will experience more sensitivity on your tooth and gums.
- Insert the trays with two (2) hands as this will be more stable and will reduce the chance of placing the whitening gel onto your gums
- Use a finger or a wet towel to remove any excess gel which may be on your gums or on the outer surface of the tray. This will reduce the possibility of sensitivity to the gums.
- After 30-45 minutes, remove the trays from your mouth and thoroughly rinse the tray with cold water ONLY. Use a gentle brush without toothpaste to remove any excess gel from your teeth (if necessary). If you feel the need to rinse, we recommend rinse under a lukewarm water to avoid any possible sensitivity.
- The recommended treatment time is 5-14 days. Once you have reached your desired shade, keep your remaining whitening gels for future touch-up sessions.
Things to avoid
During your whitening treatment, there are a few things to avoid, particular foods and drinks with strong staining agents such as:
- Beverages such as tea, coffee, red wine, coloured soft drinks (cola), etc.
- Foods with staining agents such as curries, tomato sauce, laksa, heavy amounts of soy sauce etc.
- Habits such as smoking should also be avoided
Sensitivity
It is normal to experience some sensitivity during tooth whitening; it is also temporary and will not cause permanent, internal and external tooth damage (including the nerves!). The sensitivity is only temporary and will cease following the completion of your whitening treatment. The amount of sensitivity patients feel does vary from person to person, and most experience little to no sensitivity with take home whitening kits. If you do become sensitive, and it becomes very uncomfortable, we can provide you with relief gel. Alternatively, taking paracetamol and replacing your regular toothpaste with a anti-sensitive one can help.
Remember
Think of whitening your tooth like dying your hair; it needs a touch up once in a while. Teeth, over time, will gradually turn yellow again due to the foods which we eat (external factors) as well as the anatomy of our teeth (internal factors). Because there are so many factors and variables, it is very difficult for us to estimate when you will need a touch up.
Because of this, just follow a simple rule: if you feel that your teeth has gone a bit yellow and you haven’t touched up for a while, it may be a good time to do it!
Additional whitening gels are available to purchase from our friendly front-staff, please contact our office if you need more gels or if you have any queries.
