Brighten Your Smile for Spring With a Professional Teeth Whitening Treatment

If you’re ready to start Spring by revitalizing your smile, you may be browsing your local pharmacy, searching for a product to whiten your teeth.

You’ll find an overwhelming array of teeth whiteners on the shelves. But none brighten your teeth by up to eight shades in just 45 minutes. These remarkable results are possible at Hudgens Dental, located in Charleston, South Carolina, because Roy Hudgens, DMD, uses the Philips Zoom!® system.

Let’s explore the professional teeth whitening process.

Before your teeth whitening

It’s important to have a dental check-up before your teeth whitening. If we find cavities or tiny cracks, we repair them to prevent the whitening agent from seeping into your teeth.

We also ensure your teeth are stained on the surface and not inside the tooth. You need a different whitening procedure if the tissues inside your teeth are discolored.

How Philips Zoom! works

We begin your professional teeth whitening by evaluating the current shade of your teeth and deciding how bright you want to go. We also take an impression of your teeth and use it to create a customized tray for whitening touch-ups.

Before applying the whitener, we use a retractor to prevent your lips from getting near the bleaching agent and cover your gums with a protective barrier. Then, we apply the Zoom! whitener to your teeth and shine a special Zoom! blue light on your mouth to accelerate the whitening.

We repeat the process every 15 minutes, checking the results each time. It sometimes takes three treatments (45 minutes) to complete the process. 

After finishing your whitening procedure, we apply a post-treatment gel to protect the enamel and reduce the temporary sensitivity commonly caused by teeth whitening.

Before you go home, we give you a Zoom! home-whitening kit and your trays. You use it to refresh your teeth at home and extend your professional whitening results.

Zoom! QuickPro option

If you’re in a rush or only need to lighten your teeth up to four shades, you can choose the QuickPro option. We prep your mouth and gums, then apply a thin layer of whitening agent to each tooth.

The whitener dries nearly instantly. Then, we apply a protective sealant over the whitener, and you can go home or back to work without sitting under the lamp.

It takes us about 10 minutes to apply the whitening products. 30 minutes later, you leave the office, you brush off the product to reveal a refreshed smile.

Extend the life of your teeth whitening

In addition to using your Zoom! home kit, you can lower your risk of teeth discoloration by following these tips:

Beware of acidic foods and beverages

Some foods have acids added for flavor, while others are naturally acidic. Prolonged exposure to high-acid products, like carbonated beverages, fruit juice, tomato juice, and sour candies, can erode your tooth enamel.

Don’t brush your teeth immediately after consuming an acidic food or beverage. You want all the acid to be gone before rubbing a brush across the enamel. Rinse with water or chew sugar-free gum after eating and brush in about 30 minutes.

Brush after eating staining foods

Some foods and beverages containing deep pigments stain your teeth. Common culprits include tea, coffee, red wine, cranberry juice, and berries.

Brushing every time you eat (after waiting 30 minutes) removes the pigments before they can seep into the enamel and cause staining. Regular brushing also removes plaque, which prevents staining and cavities.

If you’re ready to brighten your smile, call Hudgens Dental or book a teeth whitening appointment online today.