The Zoom system is basically an in-office bleaching, but it is much faster and uses a whitening gel agent whose bleach is activated by a light.  The agent is much stronger than what you can buy off the shelf or even the normal tray whitening systems that are the usual teeth whitening setups used by people.  Because it’s stronger, the agent with Zoom often works faster and better.

The gel is applied directly to your teeth, avoiding your gums and sensitive spots.  A special frequency light is then shone on your teeth for a specific amount of time (just a few minutes), activating the gel and causing the bleaching action to begin.  This professional teeth whitening system often has fast results, with many teeth whitening clients having the Zoom treatment done over a lunch hour.

The treatment usually takes less than 45 minutes in total.

The biggest advantage to professional teeth whitening systems like Zoom is that it’s done in a dentist’s office where the application, use, and entire treatment can be controlled.  This means the right amount of bleach, the right length of treatment, and the right intervals can be used to maximize the teeth whitening regimen.

The down side, of course, is that it’s more expensive.  Because it’s faster, though, Zoom is often cheaper than the other professional teeth whitening alternatives and generally safer and nearly as effective as even the best of them.

This is important, since most dental plans don’t cover whitening and consider it cosmetic.  So what you pay matters to you.

Most Zoom patients who do normal at-home cleaning (brushing, flossing, etc.) only require Zoom treatments once a year or so to stay white and bright.

The truth is, some remedies actually work while others are extremely dangerous to good oral health.  Lemon juice, often touted as a teeth whitening method, is actually extremely detrimental to your teeth, leeching calcium from them and causing long-term harm.  Most fruit juices, especially citrics, in fact have this same property and should be avoided.

Natural whitening methods that do work are simpler than many would like to think.  One such natural teeth whitening method is the use of wood ash.  It’s not the tastiest or prettiest way to try to whiten your teeth and it’s definitely one of the less pleasant of the natural whitening methods.

The ash of hardwoods (yep, the leftovers from the fireplace) contain potassium hydroxide, one of the prime ingredients in over the counter and in-office dental soaks (tray teeth whitening) methods.  The natural method works, if you don’t do it too often (it could cause sensitivity), but it’s not exactly fun.  It’s ashes, after all.

Another method often mentioned for natural teeth whitening is strawberry juice.  This is not really adviseable for teeth whitening, though it does work.  The problem is that the sugars and acids from the strawberries can cause erosion of the enamel, which is definitely not good.  If used sparingly and thoroughly brushed and cleaned away with regular toothpaste, though, this natural whitening method can work.  It’s a lot of trouble, though, to save $10.

Finally, the often-touted and old faithful baking soda is mentioned as a natural whitening method.  In reality, baking soda does little for teeth whitening, but it does thoroughly clean teeth.  It’s abrasive, so using too much is a bad thing, but if you just wet your toothbrush and dip the end of the bristles into the baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda), it’ll do.  Most toothpastes contain some amount of baking soda, in fact.

Fast laser treatments have been all the rage in teeth whitening, but new studies are showing that while it’s a faster treatment than in-clinic soaking (tray bleaching), it’s not necessarily better.  Or as good, even.

What’s being found is that the tooth whitening is not necessarily a bleaching, as previously though, but is actually a dehydration of the teeth from the intense light of the laser.  This dehydration leads to whitening, of course, but the laser tooth whitening can fade quickly as the teeth rehydrate after a few days.  Further questions of what it might be doing to affect enamel are also being raised.

Here’s why that is: bleach gel is usually applied to the teeth and then the laser is used to “burn off” the gel, theoretically forcing it into the teeth through heat.  In reality, most of the gel evaporates into the air, doing nothing to aid tooth whitening.  Some of it does, of course, get forced into the teeth as well.

The problem is that in most cases, that bleach is not enough and is not there long enough to do anything beyond a slim surface whitening.  The deeper coloration of the teeth (call the intrinsic coloration) is unchanged.  Further, the bleaching is so light it may not have any visual effect at all.

Most of the laser tooth whitening effect on many teeth appears to be the forcing of water from the teeth, dehydrating them.  This naturally lends a whiteness, but this new tooth whitening lasts only a few days while the teeth recover.

This is why the longer tray whitening methods seem to have a longer-lasting effect, though it is slower to appear.

At the dentist, these trays may be formed specifically to fit your mouth while over the counter versions will be generically sized.

How well the tray fits will effect how well the whitening works, of course, but in general if the tray covers the teeth up to the gums, it’s likely to work well enough.

Obviously, the fitted ones at the dentist will do a better job and will also minimize sensitivity to the gums and gum line–a common issue amongst those who have whitening done or do it themselves.  Often, the take-home trays that the dentist might provide, which are form-fitted, can be re-used with over the counter whitening gels (which your dentist may even recommend) after being sanitized.

The common kits usually contain the tooth trays themselves, teeth whitening gel in either one dose or multiple dose tubes, and optionally a rinse agent, which is usually a sensitivity reducer.

Tooth trays have been around since the early 1900s and are not new.  They’ve evolved and become more sophisticated, of course, but are basically the same in concept as they were in their early days.  The formulas for whitening, while based on the same chemicals, have advanced considerably, however.

Teeth whitening is big business and the company with the best formula (and marketing to go with it) will stand to reap great rewards.  Tooth trays and tray whitening kits have almost always fronted the market in use for in-home whitening.

For the money, most agree that tray whitening is still the most effective way to conduct teeth whitening for most people.  The custom-fit trays you get from your dentist are proven to be the most effective tooth trays, so many consider them worth the little bit of extra effort and money.

Tray whitening methods are definitely here to stay and will likely never be replaced by fancy laser or light-sensitive methods used in-office.

Whether you get your teeth whitening done at the dentist or you use an at-home method, it’s common that you experience tooth sensitivity after treatments.  There are reasons that this happens and knowing them will show you how you can be treating sensitivity issues to make for a better, less painful teeth whitening experience.

The tooth sensitivity that comes with teeth whitening is caused by your personal genetics, the stability of the bleaching process used, and the acidic reaction of the chemicals involved.  Most of the sensitivity comes from the changes made to the teeth themselves during the bleaching process.

As the figure shows, your teeth have millions of microscopic dentinal tubules, which extend from the pulp (nerve) out to the surface of your teeth.  These tubes are filled with fluid and movement of that fluid is what causes sensitivity.  Normally, minerals contained in your saliva plug the tops of these tubes (as shown), but bleaching usually dissolves those plugs, opening the tubules.

This creates tooth sensitivity as the fluids inside them moves.  Most liquids like bleach solution gels cannot penetrate into the tubules.  However, when the fluid inside them escapes and leaves a void, this void is often very painful.  Most of the time, tooth sensitivity is merely the movement of fluid as some escapes before new plugs are formed.

Some people, genetically, are more predisposed to this tooth sensitivity than others: especially fair-haired people and those with larger, thicker teeth.

The plugs dissolving are not due to the bleach itself, but the acidity of the bleach instead.  Usually, higher-quality gels and treatments will not cause much tooth sensitivity as they are formulated to be as acidically neutral as possible.  Lower-cost gels and bleaches, however, do not go through the processes required for thsi and are usually slightly alkaline or acidic.  This is the main cause of tooth sensitivity.

Desensitizing agents are commonly used in treating sensitivity and are available in toothpastes, as after-appliques for whitening, or are in the whitening gels themselves.  Finally, newer desensitizers include oxalates and HEMA-based products for restoring the plugs.

Tooth sensitivity during and after teeth whitening is not a big issue if you understand how to be treating sensitivity issues before they become painful.

Bleaching is the process of removing color from a substance.  Seems like kind of a dumb semantic difference, but it’s important in one aspect: teeth bleaching does not necessarily mean teeth get whiter, just that they have color removed.

The reason this is an important difference is because cosmetically, teeth bleaching can only remove color, but the base color of the teeth will remain.  People generally have an undertone of light brown, gray, or yellow to their teeth due to the coloration of the substrate underneath the enamel.  Coloration on that level (under the enamel) is usually called intrinsic coloring, referring to the “base” coloration of the teeth.

Usually, only the deep “intrinsic” bleaches used in a dentist’s office can really change that base color.  So most teeth bleaching will not make teeth “white” per se, but they can reduce the discoloration that makes them appear dirty.  The everyday coffee, tea, tobacco, and other stains that make most of our teeth’s discoloration can be reduced or eliminated with teeth bleaching.

For true teeth whitening, however, you’ll likely need to see a dentist and take part in a more intensive therapy to remove the discoloration.  No matter what your teeth whitening plans, you will want to get a good cleaning before you start as even teeth bleaching can only do so much for very dirty teeth.

When you are shopping for a teeth whitening solution, make sure that you look for the seal of the American Dental Association (ADA) so you know that you’re getting something that’s been approved to be safe for your teeth.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only tests over-the-counter teeth bleaching solutions to be safe for ingestion (food) as they are not considered medicines (drugs).

So be aware of what you will be using and whether it is effective and safe to use.

Before undergoing any whitening treatment, you should visit your dentist for a regular cleaning and checkup.  Most teeth whitening methods should not be used by women who are pregnant, anyone with gum disease, and in other situations.  Talk to your dentist about your plans while you’re getting your checkup so you can find out if there is a risk.

Most of types of whitening kit that you purchase from the store (over the counter) are bleach-based.  Probably hydrogen peroxide, which is basically harmless in small quantities.  This is what gives the bleaching its “sting” quality when it touches your gums or lips.  For the most part, however, so long as your gums aren’t over-exposed to the peroxide, no ill effects beyond some sensitivity will result.

These kits work fairly well for most people and many find that this is all they need for teeth whitening.  Expect to get 2-3 shades lighter after about two weeks of treatments.  For most people, this amount of teeth whitening is what they’re after and is good enough.

If you use a whitening kit, however, be aware that you should never use more than one kit in a row and should have at least a like interval (about a week) between treatments.  Read the box label before you use it and follow directions carefully.

Whitening toothpaste options abound and are extremely popular.  They are not, however, very effective.  They are better for maintenance of an existing teeth whitening treatment than they are at whitening on their own.  Great results can be had by using an over the counter whitening kit combined with whitening toothpaste, though.

Good luck with your whitening!

Be aware that whitening methods are all non-permanent solutions, so they will require regular maintenance and renewals to keep your teeth white.  In addition, even if you choose a home method off the pharmacy shelf, you’ll have much better results if you schedule a regular cleaning at your dentist to get the worst of the tartar and buildup off of your teeth before you begin using your whitening methods.

Most methods involve bleaching, even at the dentist.  Other in-office methods include laser treatments, long-term bleaching to treat intrinsic stains, and so forth.  Most people who visit their dentist for a teeth whitening regimen will do an in-office, deep-set or intrinsic bleaching.  This is usually in 15 or 20-minute intervals for about an hour using close-fitting plates (teeth covers) and will use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide in a mix.

Laser treatments are less common and much more expensive, but have faster, longer-lasting results.  Bleaching for intrinsic (deep set) stains usually requires one to two visits to the dentist at about an hour each, but won’t show a measurable difference for at least a week or more.  Laser treatments are about twice the cost (over $1,000 in most cases) and the results are immediate.

Whether you use home teeth whitening kits or visit your dentist for one of the prescribed whitening methods, you’ll likely have sensitive teeth, possible gum irritation, and perhaps a non-universal color of teeth for a short amount of time after the treatments.

Maintaining good dental hygiene is, of course, the true secret to keeping your teeth whiter, but also maintaining a teeth whitening regimen for longer periods.  Whatever of the whitening methods you use, brushing daily and keeping your teeth clean will result in your teeth whitening lasting longer.