Had Zoom Whitening: Is 2 Times Lighter Shade Achieved All That is Possible?

Zoom whitening is an extremely effective whitening procedure, but the results do vary from patient to patient.  We consistently see 4-6 shades of improvement following the Zoom procedure.  We do provide trays and ask the patient to bleach for another 4-5 days or until they are satisfied with the color.  After the last day of bleaching we wait 3-4 days before finalizing any shade matching for porcelain crowns or veneers.  This gives the teeth time to rehydrate after the whitening and the final color is then chosen.  

Hold off on fabricating your new crown if possible.  Use your bleaching trays regularly for the next few weeks and you will likely be surprised by how much whiter your teeth will get.   Although I feel Zoom! is the best in office whitening on the market, it can be unpredictable.  In cases where the results aren't stunning, the best next choice is to use whitening trays for 2-4 weeks.  (sometimes for really stubborn teeth, longer)  Compliance is key. If you use them as indicated, you will certainly see great results.  Just remember to wait about 10-14 days once you finish bleaching so that your final color will be "set" and your new crown will match you new color.  Good luck and please use your trays, I think you will be happily surprised.

In my experience the best results are achieved with ZOOM when the in-office treatment is followed by at least 3 tray applications at home.  This seems to brighten the teeth further and make the result more long-lasting.  This is the good news.  The other thing to consider is that tooth whitening is less predictable in terms of the final shade that will result.  One person can end up with a dazzling white smile and another person will only get slightly lighter.  This is dependent on the shade range that you start with (yellow teeth seem to whiten better than greyer teeth) and in some cases the structure of an individual's teeth.

 

Speak to your dentist and let him know that you are not as satisfied as you had hoped for and see if they can shed some light on your situation and help you understand what is happening in your mouth.