Why Is Zoom!® Better Than Over-the-Counter Bleaching Products for Teeth Whitening?

Whether we like it or not, our smile is often the first thing people notice — and it tells them a lot. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found that your smile has the most significant impact on how confident, capable, and attractive you appear, far exceeding how you dress, what you say, and even how you smell. 

You could try product after product to get a brighter, whiter smile, or you could go straight to the experts. 

Dr. Ryan J. Fait at Southern California General & Cosmetic Dentistry, located in Long Beach and Avalon, California, specializes in Zoom!®, the industry’s leading teeth whitening system. Here, we take a closer look into tooth discoloration and how Zoom! is the best option for erasing teeth stains.

Why your teeth are discolored

Tooth discoloration can stem from a variety of factors. We classify tooth discoloration as either intrinsic, extrinsic, or age-related. 

Extrinsic discoloration

Extrinsic discoloration impacts the bright white outer layer of your teeth called the enamel. It typically develops from drinking pigment-rich or acidic food and beverages like coffee, wine, berries, and red sauces. Using tobacco products can also cause extrinsic stains. 

Intrinsic discoloration

This type of discoloration comes from within your tooth and is especially resistant to over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments. Intrinsic stains can be caused by certain medications, trauma, injury, tooth decay, overexposure to fluoride, and genetics. 

Age-related discoloration

Even if you’ve managed to avoid other common causes of tooth discoloration, time can still catch up to your smile. As you get older, the enamel slowly wears away and exposes the dentin — a yellowish layer of dental tissue.

No matter where your discoloration came from, we know that restoring your teeth to their original shimmering shade is a priority. But not all teeth whitening methods are created equally. Here are some of the key differences between over-the-counter bleaching products and professional-grade teeth whitening. 

Where over-the-counter bleaching products fail

Bleaching your teeth at home may seem like the fastest, most convenient path to a whiter smile, but there are some serious risks involved. For example, products that contain more than a 10% concentration of bleach can cause gum irritation. Most over-the-counter bleaching products aren’t tailored to fit the exact shape of your mouth, which often leads to uneven results. 

Fortunately, there’s a better option — Zoom! in-office whitening. 

Why you should opt for Zoom!

We only offer the best teeth whitening treatment. Here are just a few of the reasons we think you should opt for Zoom!.

Safety

When you buy teeth whitening from the store, you’re left to your own devices. But when you come to us to get your teeth whitened, you’re under the care of an experienced dentist. 

Dr. Fait carefully performs each step of the whitening process to ensure that you get the results you want while also protecting your oral health. 

Better results

During your treatment, Dr. Fait applies the whitening gel to your teeth, being careful to evenly coat your entire smile. That ensures that you end up with a uniform smile you can be confident in showing off. 

Convenience 

We offer at-home Zoom! treatments that only require two visits to our office. First, Dr. Fait takes impressions of your teeth to make customized whitening trays. 

At your second appointment, we make sure your trays fit so you can use an at-home whitening kit. 

You don’t have to read labels on product boxes or hope for results — we make sure that you get the smile you want in our office or the comfort of your home. 

If you’d like more information about Zoom!, or if you’re ready to schedule a whitening consultation, you can request an appointment online or over the phone at either our Long Beach or Avalon, California, offices today.