1. The Condition of Your Teeth

Professional-strength bleaching gel is potent. Your teeth need to be cavity free and your gums need to be healthy. Otherwise, the bleaching gel can cause discomfort and irritation and whitening treatment will need to be discontinued. Expect an examination of your teeth to ensure they are ready for treatment. Some dentists require that you’ve had a recent dental cleaning before receiving Zoom.

2. What to Expect

Photo of bleaching gel being applied to teeth for Zoom whitening, from Chatham, NJ cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Zoom whitening session

Zoom Whitening is completed in three 15-20 minute sessions while you sit in the dental chair. Your smile will be brilliant when treatment is complete. Depending on how white you want your teeth, another in-office session will be needed. If you have dental anxiety, a form of sedation dentistry might be offered by the dentist to help you relax.

3. You’ll Have Homework

In-office whitening is a jump start to a brighter smile. But it doesn’t end there. For two weeks, you will continue treatment at home. You’ll receive custom bleaching trays, gel, and instructions for whitening. And with time, coffee, tea, berries, and other foods and drinks can stain your teeth. At-home touch-ups are needed to keep your smile bright.

4. Don’t Overdo It

It is possible to over-bleach your teeth. Although it’s great to have a super-white smile, closely follow the instructions from your dentist for the length of time and frequency you can do at-home touch-ups. If you whiten your teeth too often, the enamel can become weak, and your teeth can become discolored and lose their sparkle.

5. Thinking about Cosmetic Work?

If teeth whitening is just one improvement you want to make to your smile, your dental treatment needs to be planned. Whitening should be completed before cosmetic work, including dental crowns, porcelain veneers, or chairside dental bonding. If you reverse the order, your teeth will be whiter than the cosmetic changes—and teeth whitening won’t make crowns, veneers, or any other cosmetic work any brighter.

If you’re interested in Zoom whitening, schedule a consultation with a cosmetic dentist. He or she can determine if this treatment is the correct solution for removing the stains from your teeth.

Will a second opinion help if my porcelain veneers are too shiny?

In June of this year, I received porcelain veneers. I hate them because they are too shiny. Nothing about the temporary veneers I tried on in May gave me the idea that my teeth would look so fake. People have actually asked me if I am wearing something over my teeth to make them super shiny.

I’m upset with myself for believing my dentist before he bonded my veneers on. He said that they looked super shiny because my natural teeth were so very dull and discolored. Almost daily, and every time I see pictures of myself smiling, I ache inside because I have spent thousands of dollars on a smile that doesn’t look natural. I’m wondering if you can tell me what to expect if I get a second opinion to see if the shine can be toned down. Thanks. Yukiko

Yukiko,

Proper shine and texture on the surface of porcelain veneers are crucial to helping them look natural. The glaze on porcelain veneers is needed to make it stain resistant, but also to give it a natural sparkle. But it must be applied correctly. From your description, your porcelain veneers lack texture. When the glaze is applied to a very flat surface, veneers won’t look natural.

Take a look at the teeth in the photo below. Three of teeth are natural, but the lateral incisor on the right is a dental crown. Now tooth a look at the surface of the teeth. It is irregular, yet shiny. Texture helps to make teeth sparkle. Porcelain restorations must have texture, too. The dental crown looks completely natural.

Photo of four upper front teeth with a crown on the incisor to the right; for information on why porcelain veneers might be too shiny.

Natural-Looking Porcelain Veneers from a Cosmetic Dentist

The mishap with your porcelain veneers doesn’t occur with a skilled cosmetic dentist. Although you said that during the try-in, your dentist assured you the veneers only appeared to be super sparkly because your natural teeth were dull, you were not given accurate information.

An expert cosmetic dentist ensures you love your new smile during the try-in. He or she wants knows that after the veneers are bonded to your teeth, they would need to be remade if corrections are needed. What you see during the try-in is what you’ll continue to see for 15 years or more until your veneers need to be replaced.

Your dentist should have been willing to send your veneers back to the laboratory to redo your smile makeover. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

What Are Your Options?

Prophy Jet polish – A dental hygienist can use a Prophy Jet to polish the veneers, which will destroy the glaze from the porcelain and decrease the shine. But your veneers still won’t look natural because they will lack texture. They will also readily attract stain.
Remake the veneers – We suggest that you ask your dentist to have your porcelain veneers remade. You paid for a smile makeover but didn’t receive what you wanted. Insist that you try-in the new veneers and that they are bonded to your teeth only when you love the new look.
Second opinion – Your dentist will likely be willing to have your porcelain veneers remade, but if he isn’t, a second opinion from an accredited cosmetic dentist will greatly help. If you choose to receive new porcelain veneers from another dentist, consider the costs you might incur. Your current dentist might be willing to cooperate in at least partially compensating you in some way.

This post is sponsored by NJ accredited cosmetic dentist and 11-time recipient of the NJ Monthly magazine Top Dentist award Dr. Allyson Hurley.

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5 Things to Know Before You Choose Zoom Whitening