Had Zoom. Teeth looked very white at first. After 36 hours - not so white. What happened ?

It is best to avoid any staining foods and drinks immediately after Zoom in office whitening and over the 3 days following treatment.  This includes Coffee, Tea and Red wine, as well as, tobacco and nicotine.  I tell my patients to avoid any foods that would be difficult to remove from a spill on a white rug for 3 days following treatment.  This is becuase the teeth are willing and able to re hydrate and pick up stains from ordinary every day foods at a quicker rate  over the first few hours and will continue to be more permeable to stains for up to 3 days.In addition, a maintenance system should be set up by your doctor to keep those pearly whites as white and bright as possible.  This may include at home custom made bleaching trays, maintenance gels and/or whitening pens and rinses.In office whitening is a great way to see immediate results for an event, holiday or party and it is a great way to start the process of whiter teeth,  this is beacuse it will give optimal shades of whiteness in the shortest amount of time, however, keeping the results attained from Zoom!, just like everything else in cosmetics and beauty takes maintenance and additional time and treatments.  

I recommend using your take home trays regularly as the immediate results are whiter than your long-term result.Best of luck, James Asaf, DDS

It can take several teeth whitening appointments to see a significant difference  but the results are typically long lasting.  There are several professional whitening options even within Zoom Whitening including in-office, at home, and combination treatments. If you have concerns with the treatment you've just received don't be afraid to talk to your dentist about it to confirm whether or not you need susequent treatments or at-home whitening equipment in addition to the office procedures..

A large part of the white effect you see form zoom is the dehydration of the teeth which makes them look white a chalky.  When the teeth rehydrate the color comes back,   It is generally the protocol in the dental community to use the custom fit trays on your teeth for 1 hours a day for a period of days or months.  That will get you your greatest result.  If that doesn't achieve what you are looking for then you might look into veneeers.