Making Sense of Whitening
What does the in-chair whitening treatment involve?
Both systems take just over an hour. Pretty relaxed, boring-ish appointment for yourself. Dr. Levi and his lovely assistant will make you comfortable, take some impressions and prepare your teeth for the whitening. There is approximately 3-4 sessions of 15 minutes. Both treatments are one off procedures and will leave you walking out the door with a whiter brighter smile.
What whitening system would be best for me? Zoom!:
Zoom! is our most commonly used whitening system at our dental practice. Zoom! is the fastest most cost effective way to whiten the appearance of your smile instantly and professionally. It is the market leader in tooth whitening around the world and comes out of California. We of course use the latest technology Zoom!4 Advanced Power. (Upgraded regularly)
KTP Laser:
The KTP Laser from Belgium is our “trouble shooting” laser whitening system. There are only two of these fantastic machines in NSW. Dr. Levi here at the Smile Shop gets referrals from dental specialist around Sydney to whiten the difficult whitening cases. The KTP Laser is the absolute best on the world market!!
What causes tooth discolouration?
Discolouration can occur from the development of teeth and can be naturally yellow. Or external factors include: smoking, coffee and tea, red wine and generally all food and drinks with colour. During tooth formation, consumption of tetracycline, certain antibiotics, or excessive fluoride may also cause tooth discolouration. The KTP laser is the only whitening system on the market that will work to eliminate these acute problems.
How safe is professional whitening?
Years of extensive research and clinical studies indicate that whitening performed by a qualified dentist is considered the safest and most economical cosmetic dental procedure available.
Who performs the Whitening treatment?
The whitening treatment is performed by Dr. Mark Levi who has been a qualified dental surgeon for almost 30 years. For the past 10 years he has really focused on specializing in tooth whitening. And although in that time the technology has changed dramatically, Dr. Levi continues to keep up with the latest and greatest, therefore passing only the best results on to our patients. Dr. Levi works with celebrity clients including Sherri-Lee Miss Universe Australia, is seen on local and international television, lectures overseas and whitens more teeth then any dentist in Australia.
How long will the results last?
By following our simple post whitening care instructions, we expect you will see results for 3-5years. To keep your teeth looking their best we recommend flossing, brushing twice a day and using our maintenance kit every 3-6 months.
Are there any side effects?
Both Zoom! and the KTP Laser produce minimal heat. This is the usual cause of discomfort. On rare occasions minor tingling or sensitivity during and after may occur with some patients. On average 96% of patients experience no discomfort. If you suspect or suffer from sensitive teeth you may wish to use Tooth Mousse for a week or two leading up to your appointment.
What is Tooth Mousse?
Tooth Mousse is a topically applied great tasting crème that has two very powerful and tooth protecting ingredients: fluoride and milk-derived protein, which binds calcium and phosphate to strengthen the tooth’s surface. Tooth Mousse is especially effective after whitening as enamel pores are open therefore greater absorption with faster effectiveness.
Will I look stupid?
People ask that question all the time. No-one leaves the office looking too white or silly. No-one. To the contrary, most people especially in the last 2 years with better technology, leave the office deliriously happy!
Will it hurt?
98% of the time (these days) there is no pain when we whiten teeth. There are still a few cases however that experience pain for 12-24 hours after the procedure which is unpleasant. Nurofen anolgesic is recommended for these cases.