I work in a dental office that performs Zoom whitening. First and foremost I warn patients of all the possible side affects. Yes, the bleach can seep through the barrier and cause burning of the tissues. I also warn patients that they may feel a "thumping" in their teeth, possibly for a few days. I often test our products on myself so that I can better explain to our patients the possible side affects. I also often perform the procedures on our office staff and my daughter. We have had only one patient complain about swollen lips. All bleaching materials and procedures cause some blanching, burning, sores, reddness and discomfort of the gum tissue. As with any cosmetic procedure there are always side affects and you should be completely informed by Dr. or the office staff.

Zoom recommends 4 cycles of 15minutes under the light. In my opinion I feel that this is sometimes to long and often use the light for 2 cycles.
I always offer to have the patient return in 2 weeks to perform the last 2 cycles. I also start out with the lowest consentration of bleach and I do not place the light right up to the mouth. I often leave some space between the mouth and the light. I do not recommend doing any at home tray bleaching. I have had some wonderful results and very satisfied patients. I will not perform bleaching on a patient that I do not feel that I can get their teeth at least 5 to 6 shades lighter. I have always been honest with patients during their consult and have turned patients away. At our office we are only interested in great results and not money. If we can't get you great results we tell them, "unfortunately laser bleaching will not get you the results you are looking for and we won't have you waste your time or money." Often the color of our teeth is internal not external. Internal coloring can not be bleached!!!!

To all of you who are considering Zoom keep a few things in mind. One, make sure your discoloration is external. (internal coloring will usually be more of a gray shade or a deep yellow coloring....this usually is due to medication or age) Two, make sure that when having the bleaching that the person has placed a gauze covering over your lips before they place the lip retractors. Three, ask what their office policy is if your results are not at least 5 to 6 shades lighter. In our office we have never had anyone have to ask for their money back due to the fact that we are always honest about how many shades we "think" we may be able to get them. Four, no matter how thick the barrier is on your gums there is always the chance that the material will seep through and cause discomfort. Though in my experiece I haven't had anyone had discomfort for more than a day or two and I've never had anyone had their gums turn black. Ask your dentist to do what I do......cover all exposed tissue.

As far as after you've had any bleaching.....I recommed several different things. I explain to the patient that after the bleaching session that their teeth will be more susceptible to stains for about a week so please be more careful about what your eat or drink. Keeping your teeth white........a good whitening tooth paste.....avoid drinking coffee, tea, colas without a straw. These drinks have a natural dye and will stain more easily than any foods. If you don't want to use a straw always have a glass a water with your drink.

Whitening can be a safe procedure but will cause some discomfort. Ask to be informed of all possible side effects!

i had the zoom whitening procedure done today!! i have alot of sensitivity but that is to be expected! i went from yellow teeth to off the chart they had at the office... aprox 7-8 shades! very sensitive but totally worth it ! they said the sensitivity will cease by tomorrow~

I had the procedure done today at my dental office and when they finished, my bottom lip was swollen with a white patch on the inside of my lip. I look like a collagen job gone horribly bad. I was told to put a cold cloth on it and vaseline. I was never told this could happen nor does it list swollen lips on "zooms" web page as a possible side effect. When I called zoom, he told me he has never heard of this and that I should call back and talk to his Supervisor. 10 hours later my lip is still huge. It is starting to blister and I am getting shooting pains in my bottom gums that come in waves. I am trying to determine how this happened. Does any way know if this from the product or did the dental assistant screw up the procedure.

I had ZOOM whitening 2 weeks ago. Before starting, the dentist explined that once in awhile a patient will have pain, some lasting a day, some lasting several days. Also, he added that if there are problem teeth, expecially near the front, there can be additional problems. I had BriteSmile several years ago and had no problems at all, so I was pretty sure things would be OK. I told him to go ahead. I did have some pain for about 1 1/2 days. Over all I am thrilled by the results. I really think a lot of it is your pain tolerance and the condition of your teeth.

I think Zoom 2 Whitening?
If you're looking for a fast way to dramatically whiten your teeth, Zoom2 Chair side Whitening System may be the answer for you.

In just 45 minutes, this safe and effective system can give you the instant results you've been wanting – an average of eight shades! A specially designed light activates the Zoom! Whitening Gel to gently break down stains on your teeth to put the sparkle back in your smile! Also with the new Zoom2 system, our patients experience up to 67% less sensitivity than with the previous Zoom! system.

I just got the Zoom done today and haven't had any major problems at all. A few "zingers", as you call them, where the sensitivity on a tooth spikes but other than that...my dental assistant takes major care in putting a substance between the tooth edge and gums to keep the bleach from seeping over to the gums. personally, i think they did a great job.

My teeth aren't totally white but i figure it's going to take some time to whiten all those years out! haha

if anyone wants to know who my dentist was in Scottsdale, let me know and i'll get you her number. So far, I'm very impressed with them. we'll see how my invisalign appts go as i start wearing the trays in a few weeks.

Wow..is there no opportunity to edit a post at all? interesting....

Anyways, i was going to add that i wasn't sure what to eat...doc said all "white" foods and i'm thinking popcorn qualifies but would butter be a staining element on the popcorn? hmmmmm

Do you think the Doctor was having a bit of fun? haha.

White teeth, white foods...

Or are you? butter equals yellow ... tehe.