Dr. Tenaglia and her team are very excited to give you a beautiful white smile. Dr. Tenaglia has invested in the latest and greatest Zoom equipment. Chavon, our dental assistant, is our Zoom whitening specialist. We have the newest generation LED light to provide a brighter smile for you. This specific piece of equipment has different settings to adjust the intensity level to give you the maximum comfort.
Frequently asked questions:
How many shades will my teeth whiten?
Each person is unique. Just as we all have different features to our physical appearance, our anatomy is just as contrasting; dependent on our life style, genetics, and environmental habits. This can cause your teeth to be a different hue or color, such as gray, yellow, and white. The intensity of the lightning will depend on these factors. We have had patients who have lightened up to 15 shades!
How does Zoom Whitening whiten my teeth?
Zoom is a very popular tooth whitening system used within the dental office. There are a few different parts to fully complete the procedure. A solution penetrates into the dental tubules to break the bond of the stain releasing oxygen and water as by products. There is also a whitening lamp which is placed over the teeth after the solution is applied. To help activate the gel and get the best results, there are four 15 minute sessions where the whitening solution is reapplied in between sessions. Chavon will suction off the solution and wipe teeth with a cleaning liquid safe for the patient before applying new gel for another 15 minutes.
How much does Zoom cost?
Dr. Tenaglia offers two different Zoom appointments. Elite Whitening includes in office whitening along with custom made trays formed in the office for touch up whitening at home. This procedure costs $747.00. Also offered in the office is the standard whitening this is $450.00, which doesn’t include trays.
What is the order of operation?
Chavon, your assistant will first go through the consent forms and after care instructions. Then Dr. Tenaglia will take a series of photos showing your current tooth shade to provide a before and after comparison. Then, Chavon will start isolating your tissue to expose only the teeth. This is to protect your gums from the whitening solution. It is not harmful to your teeth and gums and you should not be alarmed if you swallow any. Isolation is accomplished starting with lip retractors to provide a large opening to your mouth for easy access. Once the lips are separated, dry cotton rolls and dry gauze will be used to cover the tissue. A white gel like material goes on as a liquid that hardens and is easily removable after the procedure is completed. The solution is applied to start the whitening process. Chavon will first remove the smear layer from your teeth, which every body produces. Then she will apply the whitening solution to your front 10 teeth and place the Zoom lamp over your teeth. Each session is 15 minutes long. Once this is repeated 4 times, the solution is suctioned off and fluoride is placed for any sensitivity for 10 minutes.
What complications might there be during this procedure?
This appointment is noninvasive and should have no complications:
- The results of the whitening will vary from patient to patient.
- There may be white spots on the gums where the solution may have leaked during the procedure. These white spots will disappear within 24 hours.
- The patient may experience some sensitivity on a specific tooth. From past events, these “zingers” don’t last more than a second at a time. If, however, this occurs, make the assistant aware and she will reduce the intensity of the light.
- Patients who have had previous dentistry may not get whitening results on those specific teeth. For example, crowns, fillings, veneers, and other tooth colored materials used to replace a portion of your original tooth will not whiten.
- The results may not be uniformed throughout all of the teeth.
- What might affect the results of my teeth whitening?
As mentioned earlier, each patient is unique. The whitening solution will not whiten any unnatural teeth, such as the material used to fill cavities. This can cause an uneven shade in your smile. If you are satisfied with the color of your teeth after the whitening, Dr. Tenaglia is more than equipped to remove the dark stains and replace those with the lighter, whiter fillings.
- How long will this procedure take?
Zoom whitening takes approximately 2 hours. Prior to Chavon whitening your teeth, you may or may not get a touch-up cleaning done by either Dr. Tenaglia or our hygienist. We like to have your teeth cleaned within the past month. The isolation of teeth can take up to a half hour. After that, there is an hour of teeth whitening with 4 interruptions every 15 minutes to remove the previous solution and apply a fresh coat.
- What should I do before getting my teeth whitened?
It is ideal to get your teeth cleaned before the Zoom office whitening. This is to get rid of any tartar that may have built up over a few weeks; otherwise, we would just be whitening the tartar and when that gets removed, your teeth will still be stained.
- Will this be uncomfortable?
No, you may have some excess saliva that is annoying. There may be some short term sensitivity, called “zingers” which feels like a shooting jolt up the tooth. This feeling goes away very quickly and we provide fluoride for any discomfort at the end of the procedure.
- What should I do after my whitening procedure?
After your Zoom procedure, you will want to be sure to eat food that won’t stain your teeth for the next 5 meals. Anything that will stain a white shirt will stain your teeth. So, if you want long lasting results, you’ll want to stay away from coffees, teas, red wine, and dark foods such as blueberries and beets. Examples of things you can consume are white fish, white potatoes, cottage cheese, water, milk, white wine, etc.
It would be greatly appreciated if you provided a Google review for Dr. Tenaglia and her staff.
- Google.com
- Search for “Dr. Christine Tenaglia”
- Scroll to the middle of the page, on the right side there is a place with “reviews from the web”; click on “Healthgrades”
- It will take you to a new page and ask you to fill out the prompts.
- THANK YOU!