Zoom Whitening Candidate if Cracked Teeth and Cavities?

Whether or not a person can ZOOM whiten with cracked teeth and cavities depends on the severity of the cracks & the size of the cavities.  One of the main side effects with ZOOM whitening is sensitivity.  If teeth have open, actively progressing cavities, the teeth will probably be too sensitive to whiten first.  However if the cracks or cavities are small, we have done ZOOM on these patients first and restored the cavities later. Occasionally, cavities can be filled with temporary fillings.   For the front teeth, most people want to whiten first so that the filling material can be chosen to match the whiter smile. :)

In most cases cracks and decay should be addressed before any whitening is done.  The one exception may be if you are planning any restorative work on front teeth.  In that case as long as the cracks or decay is not to large it might be ok to whiten your teeth and then restore the cracks or decay to match the new color.  Make sure to check with your dentist to determine the severity of the decay and cracks first.

If you have several cracked teeth and several cavities, in that case a holding care should be performd first. Meaning the decay needs to be removed and then restored temporarly. Getting the whitening done on the teeth with cavities and or cracks can cause sensitivity which can be severe sometimes. While the back teeth dont matter much,  for the front teeth whitening -if you are a candidate for it, should be done first and then the permanent restoraion can be placed to match the final color.

Again, its very important for you to get a comprehensive exam first as you may not be the best candidate for whitening at this time.

If you have cavities in your front teeth then sometimes we want to do Zoom first then the fillings second so we can match the whitened teeth..If the cavities are on the back teeth then I usually fix them first then do Zoom second. As long as the dentist is aware of your specific condition and makes a valued judgement it will be fine..either way..

I am glad you asked this question. Many people are not aware that any whitening system will cause tooth ache if placed on an open cavity or open crack. Some cracks are superficial (crazes) and do not affect the deeper layers of the teeth. Everyone should have a dental exam and all teeth healthy before any type of whitening including over the counter.