teeth whitening
Road Test: Teeth whitening
Where: Zoom Now! 1300 722 665 zoomnow.com.au
Cost: $745 for a two-hour treatment
What is it? The Zoom! Advanced Power tooth whitening procedure promises whiter teeth in just one hour. No more messy, at-home, 7-day treatments? I’m there. First, the dentist will check the colour of your teeth and talk you through the procedure, outlining the results you can expect (teeth can be lightened by 8-14 shades) and the pain involved. Most patients experience some sensitivity during and a couple of hours after the procedure, so you will probably need to take some painkillers. However, it’s best to check with both your dental technician and GP before doing this. Your dentist will then make a mould of your upper and lower teeth so you can do some touch-up bleaching at home (you will also get some gel to take with you). Next, sunscreen is applied to the skin around your mouth, before your entire lip and mouth area is covered with gauze to protect against the UV rays in the Zoom! Advanced Power whitening light. A gel is placed over your teeth and then you get three, 15 minute sessions where the lamp is placed over your mouth and it basically zaps your teeth with UV rays. The light and gel work together to penetrate teeth, breaking up stains and discolorations.
The low-down: You’ll need to stick to a clear white diet for 48 hours after the treatment, so that means no tea, coffee, wine, beer, cola drinks, cigarettes (not that you smoke anyway), foods prepared with olive oil, berries, curry, mustard, soy, barbecue or tomato sauces. And then there’s the at-home maintenance element, where you apply a gel inside your customised mould and treat the teeth for two weeks. I was a little concerned I would have fluoro, glow-in-the-dark teeth (remember Ross in that Friends episode?), but Dr Andy Kumar assured me that after two days, there is a slight fade back, usually less than a shade, that will leave my teeth looking totally natural. And he was right.
The result: Not only have my dazzling teeth brightened up my entire face, they also work nicely against this season’s bold red lipsticks.
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