Which method to choose: Amazing white or Zoom teeth whitening?

• before and after photos,
• teeth whitening Zoom – price 2022.

The article was written by a dentist with more than 19 years of experience.

Teeth whitening ZOOM 4 is one of the professional whitening methods that is carried out in a dental office. The active substance used is 25% hydrogen peroxide gel - in combination with a special “Zoom WhiteSpeed” lamp (Fig. 1-2), which, according to the manufacturer, increases the strength and speed of whitening.

Zoom whitening was developed by the American company DISCUS DENTAL, but LED lamps for it are produced by Philips (the Netherlands). Zoom 4 is already the fourth generation of this system, and before that Zoom, Zoom 2 and Zoom 3 were released in turn. At the moment, only the 3rd and 4th generations of this system are used, which (compared to the previous ones) have become much safer for teeth.

Zoom-4 lamp and whitening kit –

In general, only about 55% of patients have positive reviews of Zoom 4 whitening, and below we will go into detail about the reasons for the negative reviews. For example, the manufacturer’s claimed whitening of teeth by 8 shades in 1 procedure, which lasts for 3-5 years, is more of an advertising ploy. The fact is that the degree of teeth whitening is assessed by the dentist immediately after the whitening procedure, and not a few days later.

But due to exposure to intense light flux, as well as prolonged isolation of teeth from the moist environment of the oral cavity during the procedure, the enamel of the teeth loses moisture, and due to the dryness of the enamel, the teeth initially look much whiter. Within 24 hours, the saturation of the enamel with water will be completely restored, and you will be able to notice that the color of your teeth will no longer be as white as it was immediately after the procedure. But this is not the only problem with the Zoom 3 and 4 systems...

How does Zoom 4 teeth whitening work –

Teeth whitening with the Zoom 4 system is achieved through the simultaneous action of 2 components. The main component of the system is a whitening gel, which contains a 25% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a special photosensitive activator. The latter accelerates the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into free radicals when exposed to a light flux of a certain wavelength.

The second component of the Zoom 4 system is the Zoom WhiteSpeed ​​lamp. This is an LED lamp that emits light with a wavelength in the range of 400-505 nanometers. The light flux, acting on the whitening gel applied to the front surface of the teeth, accelerates the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in it. As a result of this process, free radicals are formed that penetrate the dental tissues, destroying pigment molecules there.

A high 25% concentration of whitening gel + additional exposure to a light source allows you to achieve whitening results of up to 6-8 tones* in just 1 procedure. The duration of the procedure will be only 60 minutes. Whitening stages are carried out three times in a row for 15 minutes, during which new portions of the whitening gel will be applied and the LED lamp will turn on. And at the very end, you will be given an application of remineralizing gel to reduce the adverse effects of whitening on tooth tissue.

Brief and complete video of the Zoom whitening process –

Teeth whitening Zoom 3 and 4: differences

Dental clinics now offer Zoom whitening, which can be performed using either a 3rd or 4th generation LED lamp. Teeth whitening Zoom 3 involves the use of a Zoom Advanced Power lamp (Fig. 5), and teeth whitening Zoom 4 uses a Zoom WhiteSpeed ​​lamp (Fig. 4). The latter has a higher intensity of light flux, as well as the ability to adjust the light intensity during the procedure.

Such characteristics of the WhiteSpeed ​​lamp can reduce the risk of a patient developing pain syndrome (increased sensitivity of teeth), or reduce its intensity. By the way, it should be noted that for Zoom 3 and 4, a whitening gel of the same composition and characteristics is used. Thus, the difference between them lies solely in the functionality of the lamp itself.

Both lamps look almost the same -

Important: an interesting point is that, unlike all other whitening systems, Zoom lamps emit light in the ultraviolet range. The fact is that ultraviolet light itself has a slight bleaching effect. However, other manufacturers of similar whitening systems especially emphasize that their whitening lamps are equipped with a 100% ultraviolet filtration system to avoid negative effects on the oral mucosa (24stoma.ru).

The manufacturer Zoom claims that its lamps have filters that remove all the negative part of the ultraviolet spectrum and produce only safe ultraviolet light. But how true this is and whether this can lead to the development or worsening of diseases of the mucous membrane (for example, leukoplakia) - one can only guess. And therefore, in our opinion, the use of Zoom can be dangerous for smokers, who are already at risk for the development of precancerous diseases of the oral mucosa and the red border of the lips.

How is whitening performed using the Amazing White system?

There are two Amazing White teeth whitening methods – classic and professional.

Classic whitening can be carried out at home using weakly concentrated hydrogen peroxide according to special instructions, strictly following all the rules. A patient who wants to independently carry out a treatment and prophylactic procedure can buy Amazing White for teeth whitening

online on the website of specialized stores. After the classic procedure, the result of lightening the dental crown up to 5 tones is observed.

Professional whitening is performed in dental centers using more concentrated hydrogen peroxide. This composition allows you to lighten tooth enamel by 8-9 shades.

How the professional Amazing White procedure is performed:

1. Removing bacterial film from tooth enamel through soft grinding.

2. Treatment of the oral mucosa with a special product containing vitamin complexes.

3. Apply the gel to the dental crowns with a special applicator.

4. Surface treatment using an LED lamp (15 minutes).

5. The applied product is washed off with water, after which the dental crowns are dried.

Up to 3 applications of the gel are performed in one session. Upon completion of the treatment and prophylactic procedure, the dentist performs fluoridation of the teeth, which helps strengthen the enamel and consolidates the result of crown whitening.

After the procedure, the patient needs to follow some of the doctor’s care recommendations to maintain the whitening results for a long time.

Zoom teeth whitening: price

The cost for Zoom teeth whitening in 2022 will be about 15,000 rubles in mid-price clinics. Moreover, the cost will not depend on the generation of the whitening lamp. And in any case, Zoom 3-4 generations will use the same version of the clinical whitening kit, which will contain 25% whitening gel and many different devices.

There are 2 options for sets (Fig. 6). The first option is Zoom CH Single Kit, which is an individual kit for 1 patient; its cost is about 10,000 rubles. The second option is a set for 2 patients, the cost of which will be about 17,000 rubles. Therefore, when they offer you Zoom whitening costing 8,000 rubles, it will probably be a scam. In this case, most likely, whitening gel and consumables from a cheaper manufacturer will be used, or even fake “Zoom” kits from Chinese manufacturers.

The maximum price for Zoom whitening in Moscow reaches 30,000 rubles. When you decide whether to buy this procedure or not, keep in mind that after the procedure in the clinic, you will still have to additionally buy home teeth whitening Zoom (Fig. 7). This set is designed to support results and is available in two versions: Zoom “Nite White” or “Day White”.

These kits contain whitening gel for use at home. Only the purchase price (cost price) of such kits for maintenance therapy will be about 8,500 rubles, but in the clinic you can only buy them with a corresponding additional markup. Therefore, consider what the final price for Zoom whitening will be...

Carrying out the procedure

Teeth whitening with gel and lamp is an office procedure that should only be performed by a specialist with certain experience. Otherwise, in addition to an unsatisfactory result, the patient may suffer injuries to the oral mucosa. The procedure itself lasts about 1 hour, going through several stages.

1. The preparatory stage is professional cleaning of the oral cavity. Existing plaque and tartar deposits are removed from the teeth. This procedure itself will help make the teeth lighter, and this will allow you to maximally select the tone of the tooth enamel that the patient wants to see in the end. The initial color is determined using a special VITA scale and if the result satisfies the patient, the dentist moves on to the next stage of whitening.
2. The second stage begins with the implementation of oral safety measures. To ensure minimal contact with the teeth, cheeks and lips are isolated using a variety of napkins and films. To prevent the gums from coming under the aggressive influence of the whitening gel, and to avoid chemical burns on the soft tissues, they are coated with a protective composition. Most often, this composition is liquid rubber dam. After application, it quickly hardens, forming a protective film.
3. The third stage is the whitening procedure. The surface of the teeth is pre-dried, and then it is evenly coated with active gel. After irradiating the teeth with an LED lamp for 10 minutes, this gel is removed. If the result does not satisfy the patient, the entire procedure is repeated again.

No more than three approaches can be performed during one visit to the dentist. All these steps will take about an hour. If this was not enough, a second visit to the dentist should only take place a week later.

Advantages of professional whitening Zoom 4 –

The main advantage of professional whitening systems at the dentist is the high speed of achieving results. But, as for the effectiveness of whitening, many modern products for use at home (whitening strips, as well as special home kits consisting of aligners and gel) are no less effective at the moment, but still require significantly longer duration of use.

According to the manufacturer, Zoom 4 whitening has the following advantages (some of which are quite controversial and we will also comment on them below)…

• you only need 1 visit to the dentist,
• whitening up to 8 shades,
• the whitening result lasts for 3-5 years,
• The procedure lasts only 1 hour,
• the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is only 25%, which is 10% lower than in similar professional whitening products from other manufacturers (this reduces the severity of side effects),
• the whitening gel has a pH from 7.5 to 8.5 (does not cause pronounced demineralization of dental tissues),
• The whitening gel contains components that strengthen the enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity.

Below we will show you “before and after” photos of patients, and also tell you why reviews of teeth whitening with the Zoom system (with all the advantages listed above) are only positive for about 55% of patients.

How to keep your teeth healthy when whitening?

So, we figured out the whitening techniques. Now you know the principle of their operation and can completely trust the dentist in choosing a procedure. How to keep your teeth healthy when whitening? After the procedure, remineralization can be performed to avoid sensitivity problems.

And don’t forget about regular oral hygiene at home, as well as preventive examinations with a doctor every six months. If you are still wary of in-clinic whitening, order mouth guards for home whitening with a weaker concentration of hydrogen peroxide from your dentist.

Zoom: before and after photos

Reading reviews of Zoom teeth whitening (which we will also present later in this article) you will see that many patients note a good effect from the procedure only if the teeth were initially quite yellow. In this case, the “before and after” effect of whitening is visible quite well. If you want to make already quite light teeth whiter, the effect will be practically unnoticeable.

Teeth whitening Zoom-4: before and after photos

Will my teeth have sensitivity after the whitening procedure?

I began to partially answer this question in the previous paragraph. In each case, the manifestation of hypersensitivity during and after the procedure cannot be predicted; everything is quite individual. Generally speaking, the appearance of increased sensitivity of bleached teeth to one degree or another manifests itself after any whitening method. The faster the procedure occurs, the higher the concentration of the whitening gel, the stronger and longer the discomfort. Therefore, according to the degree of severity of unpleasant sensations, we can rank the procedure options as follows: in-office with the use of activating lamps gives complications more often and the intensity of unpleasant sensations is higher, in-office without activating the gel with light - less, home - least often, up to complete absence. One way or another, there is no need to be afraid of this. Usually, however, the sensitivity is not very intense and lasts a maximum of a few days. In addition, there are special products to reduce tooth sensitivity that you can use during this period. In some whitening systems, they come complete with all consumables for the procedure, and are given to you by the doctor.

Teeth whitening Zoom 4: reviews

As we said at the beginning of the article, only about 55% of patients were satisfied with Zoom whitening for its fast and good results. However, the remaining patients regretted their choice and said that they would never undergo this procedure again and would not be able to recommend it to anyone. Let's figure out what this was connected with (all reviews are unique and taken from the site https://www.realself.com/zoom-teeth-whitening/patient-reviews).

Severe shooting pains in teeth -

Reviews of Zoom whitening from people with hypersensitive teeth usually contain complaints of sharp shooting pains in the teeth, which can occur both during the whitening procedure and for several days after its completion. However, many patients who have never previously suffered from hypersensitivity also report the appearance of severe pain.

Reviews describe many cases where patients had to ask the doctor to interrupt the procedure due to unbearable pain. In this case, the lamp was turned off, and the whitening gel was immediately washed off from the teeth. Patients were prescribed strong analgesics and applications with enamel-strengthening gels. Despite the fact that we present negative reviews below (because this will allow you to understand what you may encounter) - we objectively recognize that 55% of patients were satisfied with Zoom.

Examples of reviews –

• Reviewed January 26, 2022 “Within an hour I began to experience terrible shooting pains that lasted up to 30 seconds each time.
  I had to leave my job. By the time I returned home, I had constant pain in all my teeth. I moaned and rolled on the sofa until the evening, and in the evening I went to the dentist's office. The doctor rubbed some kind of anesthetic gel into my teeth and prescribed a strong painkiller. But the pain did not disappear, I did not sleep all night. The pain went away only after 16 hours. Seriously, if your teeth have even the slightest sensitivity - I would not recommend this ever. It was the most painful procedure of my life. My experience may not be everyone's experience, but for me it was terrible. So I wanted to warn people so they don't experience the same thing I did."

• Reviewed June 10, 2016 “Let me start by saying, you can't even imagine the pain that comes with Zoom. Before the procedure, the dentist's exact words were: "you may feel a little sensitivity in 1-2 teeth." This didn't bother me because I don't have sensitive teeth. The first 10 minutes of the procedure went without any worries. But over the next 30 minutes there were terrible stabbing sharp pains in each tooth. It is as if the nerves were exposed to an electrical current. Yes, my teeth are several shades whiter, but I will never repeat this procedure or recommend it to anyone.”

• Reviewed February 18, 2016 “6 hours later I am still in a lot of pain and the painkiller Advil isn't even helping. I can't eat anything, take a sip of water or even talk. This is terrible, I will never do this procedure again. Yes, my teeth look whiter, but it's not worth the pain I'm going through."

• Review dated October 3, 2016 “The pain appeared about 10 minutes after the end of the session. At first it was mild, but after a couple of hours I was in bed, drinking a strong painkiller. I can't work because I can't even talk. Air entering through my mouth when I speak causes severe pain. I tried to suck the bread and even that caused pain. I'm so upset, it's killing me! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone! I can imagine how harmful this procedure is for my teeth if they react this way. Save your money and yourself!”

• Review January 30, 2014 “I went for my regular checkup and the dentist said my teeth were perfect for whitening.
  I had noticed yellowing of my teeth before, but had never had professional whitening done. They told me that “there would be some tooth sensitivity,” but I was not prepared for the absolute excruciating pain that I experienced already during the procedure, and it only got worse from there. 10 minutes after the start of the procedure, I experienced the first severe shooting pains. By the end of the whole procedure, my eyes were full of tears. The doctor coated my teeth with fluoride and gave me ibuprofen, but none of that worked. I can't eat or even move my mouth because... any touch of the teeth causes excruciating pain in them. I can't stop crying even though I left the clinic two hours ago. My teeth have never been this sensitive, so it's not just my body overreacting. I wish I had used whitening strips or something else. If you think you may have even the slightest tooth sensitivity, the strips will work infinitely better and cause far less pain than the Zoom procedure."

Conclusions: you should not undergo a professional whitening procedure in principle if you periodically experience pain in your teeth due to thermal and mechanical stimuli (i.e., there is increased sensitivity of the teeth). In other cases, the risk of developing acute pain will be significantly lower. Zoom-4 uses the latest generation of WhiteSpeed ​​lamp, which allows during the procedure, if necessary, to reduce the intensity of the light flux, which somewhat reduces the severity of pain.

The degree of whitening may be lower than expected -

As we said above: teeth lightening by 6-8 shades in 1 Zoom procedure is not very true.
The dentist will measure your teeth color using a special scale (for example, Vita or others) - before and immediately after the whitening procedure. The problem is that teeth lose a lot of moisture during whitening, and overdried teeth always look whiter. Therefore, when the dentist shows you the change in tooth color immediately after the procedure, you should know that the resulting tooth color will change within 1-2 days. This will happen because the hard tissues of the teeth, overdried during the procedure, will gradually become saturated with moisture, which will lead to a decrease in the degree of whiteness of the teeth obtained immediately after the Zoom whitening procedure.

Determining the shade of teeth using a special scale -

If your dentist insists on guaranteeing that your teeth will be 6 or 8 shades lighter, then ask him to measure the color of your teeth not immediately after the procedure, but the next day, and ask him to include this clause in the contract for the possibility of a refund. Believe me, the dentist’s mood will immediately change... You can get a fairly good result only if your teeth are really yellow. If your teeth are already quite light, but you want to make them even whiter, keep in mind that the visible effect obtained immediately after the procedure will be practically unnoticeable after 1-2 days.

Examples of reviews –

• Reviewed December 27, 2016 “I had Zoom teeth whitening twice because... the first time my teeth looked no better. My teeth didn't look like the ones in the Zoom commercial. My before and after photos look almost identical (this was after the first time, but even after I did it the second time - the results were about the same). It’s not worth the cost and it’s not worth the pain I’ve endured.”

• Reviewed June 11, 2015 “Unless you have super yellow teeth, you won't notice a significant difference. Unless the whitening doctor only treats half of your teeth so you can compare the difference. Don’t be fooled by doctors who will guarantee you super results, because... They themselves cannot predict what the effect of whitening will be on each individual patient.”

Why the effect may not last long -

Although dentists claim that Zoom teeth whitening can give results for 3-5 years, this is basically advertising again. The problem with quickly lightening teeth in 1 procedure is the high rate of “rebound” of tooth color. And there is a dependence: the shorter the procedure, the faster your natural teeth color returns. That is why with whitening systems, which involve daily procedures for 30-60 minutes for 10-20 days, the achieved effect lasts longer.

And that is why the manufacturer Zoom also produces home whitening systems, the regular periodic use of which is necessary to maintain the result. And immediately after the procedure, the dentist will always recommend that you buy such a home support system Zoom. As a result, the final cost of Zoom whitening will be 5-6 times higher when compared with high-quality home whitening systems such as “Opalescens”.

A 2013 publication by Basson, which reviewed the results of 49 clinical studies conducted from 1998 to 2011, states that professional whitening achieves initial improvement in tooth color—only slightly better than at-home whitening systems. Moreover, when measuring the color of teeth 4 weeks after the end of the whitening procedure, professional whitening showed a significantly greater relapse of tooth color (compared to home whitening).

Examples of reviews –

• Reviewed August 27, 2013 “A few weeks before getting veneers, I had a Zoom teeth whitening treatment as recommended by my dentist. I didn't feel anything during the treatment, but an hour after leaving the clinic I began to experience excruciating pain that lasted for about eight hours. Although my teeth became significantly whiter - this whiteness faded within 1 month. Now more than 4 months have passed since the treatment, and I can hardly see the difference between “before” and now. I will no longer undergo this procedure because I believe that it is not worth the pain and the cost.”
• Review dated April 20, 2014 “The result obtained is not worth a penny. So, the almost invisible effect of Zoom disappeared after 2 days. I had better results even after using regular at-home whitening strips. In general - never again, a waste of money."

Risk of chemical burn to gums –

Before a whitening procedure, your dentist will always place what is called a “liquid rubber dam” on your gums, which is supposed to seal off 25% of the hydrogen peroxide from your gums. Sometimes dentists do not properly isolate the gums and lips from contact with the whitening gel, which leads to the development of a chemical burn. The problem is that scarring of the gums and lowering of its level can occur, exposing the surface of the tooth root.

What does a gum burn look like after Zoom?

Review example –

• Reviewed February 3, 2022 “The day after the procedure, the entire inside of my lower lip was white and very sore. It looks like my entire bottom lip was burned off by the hydrogen peroxide. I can't drink hot drinks, eat anything spicy, or brush my teeth because they all cause severe pain when they touch my lips and gums. Due to the fact that I can’t brush my teeth, they are no longer so white. I wish I had never done this."

Negative effects on tooth tissue –

If they tell you that professional whitening does not lead to demineralization of dental tissues (loss of calcium), then you should not believe it. Clinical studies "Sighiand Denry" (1992), "McCracken et al." (1996) showed that chemical bleaching leads to a decrease in enamel strength and wear resistance to abrasives and chemicals. And the higher the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is used, the higher the degree of demineralization of enamel and dentin.

That is why the manufacturing company Zoom recommends that all patients undergo remineralization therapy not only after the whitening procedure, but also before it begins. In addition, the contraindications to Zoom include a group of patients with weak resistance of tooth enamel to acids and mechanical stress (i.e., patients with weak mineralization of tooth enamel), which once again confirms that whitening has a negative effect on the hard tissues of teeth.

Review example –

• Reviewed October 16, 2014 “I have always had white teeth, but I wanted them to be even whiter. So I did Zoom. It was the worst experience. I have never had tooth decay or gum disease. I had severe pain after the procedure. But the most important thing is different... I began to notice that the enamel began to collapse (peel off) from the front surface of my teeth.”

Commentary on the review - if a dentist recommends a whitening procedure for a patient with weak enamel mineralization, then destruction of its surface layer is indeed possible. To reduce the risk of tooth decay, teeth are treated with “Relief” gel based on amorphous calcium phosphate before and after Zoom. The use of a gel is an attempt to compensate for the negative effects of whitening on tooth tissue, which will certainly reduce the negative effects of exposure to high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on tooth tissue.

Pay attention to the following before and after photo (Fig. 17). If you look closely, in the first photo taken before the Zoom procedure, there are white chalky spots on the teeth. Such stains indicate insufficient mineralization of tooth enamel, and as a result, poor resistance to chemical and mechanical factors. Because The dentist neglected the rules for selecting patients for this procedure - the patient received not only uneven tooth color, but also a predisposition to the development of caries and increased enamel abrasion.

Increases the risk of fillings falling out –

Clinical studies by Della Bona et al. 1992, Tiunsakeretall 1990, Titleyetall 1991 - showed that chemical bleaching with hydrogen peroxide disrupts the bond between tooth dentin and filling materials (both light composites and glass ionomer cements). As a result, the marginal fit of the filling to the tooth tissue deteriorates, which can lead to the development of caries at the filling/tooth interface and loss of fillings.

What types of whitening are there? Which whitening method is more effective?

If we talk about really effective whitening, then there are only two types. Office and home. I repeat once again that the essence is the same everywhere. What's the difference then? Office work, as you might guess, is carried out in the dentist’s office. It is produced by gels with a high concentration of bleaching agent (usually 35-38% hydrogen peroxide). You cannot do procedures with such concentrations yourself, because contact of the gel of such concentrations with the mucous membrane causes severe burns. The doctor uses numerous means of protection so that only the teeth are whitened, and not the tongue or lips. Some whitening systems (Zoom, LumaCool, etc.) involve activating the gel with a special lamp for a faster and more effective procedure. Some are simply applied to the teeth and work without any additional activation by light (Opalescence, Bleach n' Smile , etc.) In any case, the procedure takes about 1-1.5 hours and the result can be seen almost immediately. Especially in systems with light activation of the gel.

This photo shows the process of in-office whitening with the Opalescence XtraBoost system, which I prefer to use in my practice. The green arrows indicate the actual whitening gel (38% hydrogen peroxide), the blue arrows indicate the protective coating of the gums (the so-called “liquid dam”), the black arrows indicate a temporary plastic crown, which does not whiten and will be replaced with a permanent one after completing the whitening course.

Home whitening involves the patient performing the procedure independently at home. BUT! Under the supervision of a doctor exclusively! Ideally, you come to the doctor, in 1-2 days they make a special plastic individual mouthguard for your teeth, give you instructions on what gel, what concentration and according to what scheme is best to use in your case. And then at home you do everything exactly as the doctor ordered. Results can usually be seen within a couple of weeks. Exactly the same result as with the cabinet version.

The custom tray is filled with whitening gel and placed over the teeth. Mouthguard wearing patterns vary and must be selected individually by the dentist.

Let's summarize the pros and cons of teeth whitening options . In-office treatment is faster, but it is usually more expensive and is often associated with the appearance of unpleasant sensitivity, both during the procedure and for some time after it. Home whitening will give a similar result over a longer period, but it is cheaper and, as a rule, does not cause discomfort in the form of increased tooth sensitivity. In cases where the result is not required right now (unexpected wedding, urgent important date, etc.), it is better to choose home whitening. But if you are not confident in your accuracy, you don’t want to spend a long and tedious time remembering all the rules and following all the recommendations, prefer a less complicated office option.

If you suddenly have an important event in your life that you need to approach with a dazzling smile, then in-office whitening is your choice.

How does light affect the effectiveness of whitening?

Not all, but many professional teeth whitening systems recommend using light during the procedure, and Zoom is no exception. For many years, there has been debate in the dental community about whether light activation actually speeds up and improves the teeth whitening process. So why do we need light here at all?

According to the technology, the light flux activates a chemical photocatalyst in the whitening gel, which helps break down hydrogen peroxide into active components (free radicals). This increases the concentration of active radicals that simultaneously act on tooth tissue, which in theory should increase the strength of whitening. Most scientific publications on this topic are not independent, and are financed by the manufacturers of such systems themselves.

But there are also several independent studies that use the most objective approach to assessing results, called “split arch”. Using this method, each patient's teeth are divided into halves: on the left half of the jaws the same type of whitening is performed with light, and on the right half - without light. Next, the results are compared. This method is the gold standard for evaluating whitening methods because... here different methods are compared on the teeth of one person, and not on different people (whose teeth may respond differently to whitening).

List of scientific studies (showing that the use of light does not affect the effectiveness of whitening) –

• Hein 2003 This study used the split-arch method to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 professional bleach systems (LumaArch, Optilux 500 and Zoom !) - with and without the use of bleach light. Conclusion: Additional use of light did not whiten teeth any better than simply using a whitening gel.

• CRA 2003 This clinical study also used the split arch method to study 7 professional whitening systems - LaserSmile, LumaArch, Niveous, Opalescence Xtra Boost, PolaOffice, Rembrandt and Zoom ! Conclusion: Using the whitening light did not improve the whitening process compared to using only the whitening gel included in the kits for these systems.

• Kugel 2006 Conclusions: A clinical study using the split arch method showed that the results of light-activated whitening were slightly better, but only initially. When the subjects' teeth were re-evaluated 2 weeks after treatment, no differences were found where the whitening light was used and where it was not.

→ Example of a clinical study (about the ineffectiveness of light in teeth whitening).

Then why do dentists recommend light whitening?

It's all about marketing. Using a light lamp during whitening adds a “glamour” to the procedure, making the whitening process more impressive. And this impression of something special tends to attract consumers and help stimulate demand for such a service. In turn, home whitening systems do not offer additional light exposure, although they are no less effective.

Thus, whitening lamps allow you to solve 2 problems at once. Firstly, they motivate patients to choose professional rather than home whitening systems (because in the eyes of patients they look more convincing). Secondly, this allows you to sell a professional whitening service costing from 15,000 to 20,000 rubles - much more expensive than whitening systems for home use, which cost about 3,500-5,000 rubles.

That's the whole secret. In addition, companies producing whitening systems now make money not only from kits with whitening gel, but also from sales of whitening lamps to dental clinics. Therefore, it is natural that manufacturers of foaming mouth whitening systems will claim that their light lamp is an important part of the whitening process. For example, the cost of a Zoom WhiteSpeed ​​lamp will cost a clinic approximately 180,000 rubles, which is naturally passed on to the patients.

Whitening principle

At the moment, there are two types of whitening - office (professional) and home. Both methods are actively used to improve the color of teeth, but professional whitening is more effective. On the other hand, any type of whitening is based on the same principles. The basis of the bleaching agent is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide. When decomposed, free radicals are released, namely atomic oxygen, which effectively destroys dyes and pigments that accumulate in dentin. The effectiveness of whitening depends on a number of factors, including the concentration of the active substance and the regularity of the procedure.

Zoom whitening: contraindications

There is a list of absolute and relative contraindications to professional whitening. Absolute contraindications mean “under no circumstances,” and relative contraindications are possible, but only after eliminating the negative factor/situation in the patient’s health condition

1) List of absolute contraindications –

• oncological diseases,
• diabetes,
• age up to 18 years,
• pregnancy and lactation period,
• increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation,
• taking certain medications that cause increased tissue sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation (see list of medications below).

Name of drugs by INN (international non-proprietary names): Ciprofloxacin, Chlorthiazide, Chlopthalidone, Demodocylin, Nabumetone, Hydrochlorothiazide, Norfloxacin, Ofloxacin, Naprosyn, Oxaprozin, Sparfloxacin, Piroxicam, Tetracyclin, Psoralens, Sulindac, Doxycydine.

2) List of relative contraindications –

• with inflammation of the gums,
• in the presence of untreated caries,
• in the presence of deep wedge-shaped defects with exposure of dentin,
• if you have fillings, crowns or veneers on your front teeth*

*You should note that chemical whitening only affects the tooth structure, but cannot change the color of crowns, veneers and fillings that may be on the front teeth. Therefore, if you are not going to spend money on replacing fillings and crowns, you should not do whitening, because... you will get a sharp contrast between the whitened tooth tissue and the fillings and crowns of the previous shade.

How effective and harmful are whitening toothpastes?

Here it must be said that the vast majority of so-called whitening pastes are actually not capable of whitening anything, because... they simply lack an oxidizing agent. So this is a kind of advertising ploy by the manufacturers. But what they do have is a higher content of abrasive substances for more effective plaque removal. You should not use such toothpastes regularly; it can cause serious harm to your teeth. At a minimum, this may threaten the appearance of increased sensitivity of teeth , and at a maximum, the appearance of non-carious lesions (mainly wedge-shaped defects). They can be used only temporarily (no more than one medium tube is used up) and it is advisable to alternate it with regular toothpaste. It is needed primarily by heavy smokers and coffee lovers. If you are not one of them, then you should not turn your attention to “whitening” toothpastes. In some rare cases, whitening toothpastes do contain small amounts of a bleaching agent. And such a paste really has the right to be called “whitening.” They are sold more often in pharmacies and are much more expensive than regular pastes. But even with regular use, you should not count on a noticeable effect from their isolated use. Concentrations are too low. As a rule, they are used for the period while the home whitening process is in progress to enhance and maintain the effect.

Here you can also talk about other “pharmacy” products for teeth whitening – various varnishes, strips, etc. All of these are very ineffective drugs for the same reason - a low concentration of the bleaching agent. To feel the results from them, you need to have a very high power of self-hypnosis. So it's just wasted money.

The difference between ZOOM and laser whitening –

Whitening Zoom involves the use of the following light lamps... The Zoom-3 uses an “Advanced Power” lamp - with a light wave range from 350 to 400 nanometers, and the Zoom-4 uses a “WhiteSpeed” lamp with light waves in the range of 400-505 nanometers. Thus, the lamp emits light waves not of a specific one wavelength, but a whole beam of waves of different lengths.

The latter, by the way, allows us to call Zoom a technique for photo-whitening teeth. In turn, diode lasers used for laser whitening emit only one strictly defined wavelength, for example, 810 nanometers. At the same time, both methods use a similar whitening gel. We hope that our article on the topic: Zoom-4 teeth whitening was useful to you!

Sources:

1. Add. prof.

, 2. Based on personal experience with whitening, 3. National Library of Medicine (USA), 4. American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (USA), 5. https://www.realself.com/, 6. https:// www.usa.philips.com/.

What effective folk whitening remedies exist? How to whiten teeth at home?

This question could be answered briefly: there are no effective traditional methods of teeth whitening . And I would like to warn against the thoughtless use of improvised means in order to save money. Very often this backfires. It is strictly forbidden to use soda, tooth powders, lemon, activated carbon, etc. to brighten your smile. in different combinations. I personally once had a patient who spent a considerable amount of time brushing her teeth with a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. When she came to me, I learned for the first time what enamel erosion looks like. At that time I had not yet photographed clinical cases, but it looked something like this.

How do you like this “whitening”? Instead of beautiful teeth, they were irreparably damaged and their restoration cost her a lot of money. As usually happens, thoughtless savings turned into even greater expenses.

I also heard a story from colleagues about how one of the patients whitened his teeth with “Toilet Duck”, because the bottle said “safe for enamel.” Well, what else can you say?

to whiten your teeth on your own online . Most of them are just a waste of time. And some are simply harmful. So, in pursuit of beauty, do not lose your sanity, otherwise you risk losing your teeth. Ultimately, if you need to post your photo on a social network or forum, you can whiten your teeth using Photoshop (as they do in glossy magazines for unnaturally white-toothed models). Or if you need white teeth for some important occasion, you can visit the solarium several times, use a foundation of a darker shade... against the background of dark skin, the teeth will appear lighter even without any bleaching (just look at the “tanned” Africans, whose teeth are always appear dazzlingly white just because of the color of their skin).

Is it possible to whiten a dead, darkened tooth?

Yes, and this procedure is called endobleaching . Those. internal tooth whitening. It may be needed when, after removing a nerve in a tooth, for various reasons it becomes dark, turns yellow and begins to stand out from its healthy neighbors. In this case, access to the canal is made in the tooth, it is reliably isolated, and the same hydrogen peroxide/urea whitening gel remains in the cavity for 2-3 days. As a result, the darkening of the dead tooth can be eliminated. Often this procedure must be performed before prosthetics of the front teeth with metal-free crowns or veneers. Due to their fairly high transparency (which is very necessary from an aesthetic point of view), any change in the color of the tooth underneath will be unpleasant to show through. This may prevent you from making restorations of the same color.

Upper central incisor darkened after depulpation

The same after the internal bleaching procedure

Are artificial crowns and fillings bleached?

No. No crowns or fillings can be whitened using any method. Therefore, after lightening your teeth, you will have to replace any restorations with those that are visible when you smile and talk. If your teeth have caries or leaky fillings, then before whitening a temporary restoration is made, which, after all lightening procedures are completed, is changed to a permanent one, taking into account the resulting shade of the teeth.

This photo shows that the plastic temporary crown, originally made to match the color of the neighboring teeth, after the whitening procedure stands out strongly against the background of its lighter neighbors

These are the main questions about teeth whitening that I have encountered. This article will be updated as new ones appear. If you are thinking about this fashionable procedure, remember that beautiful teeth are, first of all, healthy teeth. And in attempts to improve their appearance, you should not harm them with dubious methods or independent exercises using improvised means.

What is laser whitening? Is it true that it is the most effective?

Laser whitening/photo whitening (I came across other names) - all of this is essentially the same thing. In order to stand out from the crowd and offer patients something “unique... and only here,” clinic advertisers come up with a bunch of names for the same procedure. All this is standard whitening with gels, which are activated by the light of special lamps. Indeed, such systems (Zoom, LumaCool, LumaArch and many others) give the fastest and most noticeable results. But at the same time they also give the greatest number of cases of the development of very intense hypersensitivity. Plus, due to the rather high cost of consumables required for each procedure, the high cost of the lamp itself, which must be “beaten”, the price for such a service turns out to be the highest of all possible options for whitening procedures. But the choice is ultimately yours. Do you want instant results visible to the naked eye? Pay with money and discomfort from pain. Do you want it cheaper and with a minimum of discomfort? Then be patient and forget about “laser” whitening.

The generation of advertisers who grew up watching Star Wars apparently imagines the dentists of the future in this way, luring patients to clinics for “laser treatment of caries,” “laser whitening,” and “laser implantation.”

In fact, this is what the Zoom lamp for “laser” (i.e., actually conventional, light-activated) whitening looks like these days.

What is restorative bleaching? Is it possible to whiten teeth with veneers?

Restorative bleaching is, in most cases, a great stupidity that some doctors suggest that their patients do to themselves. This procedure involves covering the front surface of the teeth with a thin layer of white opaque composite material (it was popular in the past), or the same white opaque ceramic veneers/lumineers. In both cases, an irreversible change in the surface of a healthy tooth is assumed. In the case of a composite, you get a very dubious option from the point of view of aesthetics and service life. Well, about all kinds of “ veneers without grinding teeth/lumineers/ultraneers , etc.” you can read it here. In what cases can this option be used? There is only one good indication here – serious generalized (i.e. on all teeth at once) changes in their color. Such problems may be associated with impaired development of tooth buds in childhood or even in the womb. The most common of these pathologies are the so-called. tetracycline teeth.

This is what one of the unpleasant lesions of teeth looks like during their development, the so-called. "tetracycline teeth"

You can also resort to total restoration of all visible teeth if you desperately need teeth the color of plumbing fixtures - absolutely white. It will never be possible to whiten healthy, normal teeth to such a state using any method, and attempts to do so can still end disastrously for the teeth. So if you are a movie and TV star, and your mouth is periodically shown in close-up on the entire screen throughout the country, and the size of your future fees depends on the degree of whiteness of your teeth, then restorative bleaching is quite an option for you... After all, against the background of circular braces , liposuction, enlargement/reduction of everything that can be enlarged/reduced, total teeth veneering looks like a completely innocent and absolutely safe children’s prank.