Zoom! Teeth Whitening

San Francisco, San Jose, Los Altos and Bay Area teeth whitening patients love Zoom! Teeth Whitening, a revolutionary in-office teeth whitening procedure that can lighten your teeth up to eight shades whiter in an hour. Zoom! is a bleaching process that lightens discoloration of enamel and dentin. You may have seen the Zoom! process used on ABC's "Extreme Makeover."

How Zoom! Whitening Works

Many things can cause tooth discoloration: drinking coffee, tea, red wine or dark soda, smoking, or simply aging. With Zoom! Teeth Whitening, Dr. Hartley, Dr. Field, and Dr. McFarlane use the Zoom Advanced-Power Chairside Lamp to activate the whitening gel, which contains 25-percent hydrogen peroxide. As the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, it releases oxygen molecules, which penetrate the tooth's enamel and dentin. This process bleaches stains but leaves the tooth's structure intact.

Tailored Zoom! Whitening Treatment Plan

Before starting the Zoom! Whitening treatment, Dr. Hartley, Dr. Field or Dr. McFarlane will examine your teeth and gums to make sure that you have suitable oral health. They will also discuss your teeth whitening objectives, hygiene routine and lifestyle practices to ensure that Zoom! Whitening is right for you, as well as to determine the best course of action to help you achieve your teeth whitening goals.

Note that not all patients are suitable Zoom! Whitening candidates. Pregnant or lactating women, children under the age of 13, those with extreme tooth sensitivity and those with numerous veneers and crowns may not be suitable candidates for this treatment. If this is the case, the cosmetic dentist will offer other teeth whitening options.

What to Expect During the Zoom! Whitening In-Office Procedure

Dr. Hartley, Dr. Field and Dr. McFarlane may advise patients to have a teeth cleaning prior to the Zoom! Whitening treatment. The actual Zoom! Whitening procedure takes about an hour. A dental hygienist will prepare the area by covering the patient's lips and gums, keeping teeth exposed. The treatment provider will then apply the whitening gel and leave the patient to relax while the gel is activated by the chair-side lamp and bleaches stains.

The treatment provider will apply new gel at 15-minute intervals three times during treatment for an overall procedure time of 45 minutes. Immediately following treatment, a fluoride gel will be applied to the teeth to reduce any sensitivity. Each patient will leave with a touch-up kit along with aftercare and maintenance instructions.

At-Home Bleaching

Why choose us for teeth whitening? We offer the latest in bleaching treatments. Bleaching can whiten your teeth by removing the discoloration caused by coffee, tobacco, red wine, dark soda and aging. Naturally yellow or darker teeth will benefit greatly from bleaching.

Home bleaching requires an initial visit to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure and to fit custom-made trays to your teeth. These thin, comfortable trays hold a special gel that usually whitens your teeth over a period of 7-10 days. You can wear them overnight or more often to speed up the process.