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Zoom – in-surgery whitening Zoom has been popularised on the TV makeover shows. In our opinion it is the the most reliable and efficient whitening product on the market. In-surgery whitening is for the busy patient who does not want to wear trays at night and wants an instant result. It is not an inexpensive option but has obvious advantages over the more economic home tray tooth whitening system. This uses a higher concentration of peroxide (35%) and a high energy light source. The process begins by applying a protective blue gel to the gums, cheek retractors with protective, absorbent guaze for comfort and the use of protective glasses. The whitening gel is then applied and a high energy light shone onto it for 15 minutes. The gel is then rinsed off and the process repeated if necessary.
Home whitening Bleaching teeth using hydrogen peroxide was first reported in the mid 1860s. In those days a red hot poker was used to start the reaction! These days we still use hydrogen peroxide, which dissociates using heat or light and washes through the tooth taking stains with it. Home whitening is a tray system with a bleaching gel which is used at home with a weaker (2.5%) peroxide and patients rarely report sensitivity. This system takes about 14 nights to produce a noticeable effect and has the advantage that the patient controls the final colour change. It is possible to bleach individual teeth and the effect is cumulative so it doesn't matter if you miss a night. The effect lasts 2-3 years but most people don't wait and will use the tray for a few nights before a wedding or an important occassion. Teeth whitening is very popular at present and our policy is to make the process more affordable and therefore more available. We keep a small stock of fresh gel on the premises and patients can come to reception and get more gel as they require it.
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