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Friday, September 30, 2011

Zoom Teeth Whitening Home Kit

I had a cleaning appointment with my dentist about 2 weeks before my wedding.  Let me preface this by saying that my dentist loves me, because I floss my teeth religiously and am her star patient.  LOL!  It's so funny because I'm just totally OCD about it and cannot go to bed without flossing first no matter how tired I am.  So every time I go to my dentist it's like seeing a friend, she knows everything that goes on in my life.  I can call her office and give her front desk gal only my first name and she knows who I am.  But anyway, during the last cleaning session, she asked me if I was interested in a teeth whitening treatment for my wedding, and I told her I'd think about it.  I didn't really want to spend a few hundred bucks on it so that was kind of my way of saying no (I really suck at being direct).  But by the time she finished my cleaning she actually told me she'd do it for me free of charge as a wedding present.  How nice!!  This is why one should always befriend dentists and doctors.  HAHA!  Even then though I wanted to decline simply because I was so busy doing all this last minute wedding stuff and didn't think I could (or would want to) make it back to her office through LA traffic.  She is in West LA and I work in downtown which is about 10 miles or so, but takes FOREVER to get there no matter what time of day.  Then I'd have to sit there for an hour while she did her job so that would take away a whole afternoon.  But then she told me I could just do an at home kit which takes about 10 days and get great results too so I thought why not.

So that day, she took a mold of my teeth and I picked up the kit a couple days later.  I had never used any at home whitening kits before, but the brand is Zoom.  It comes with a syringe looking thing filled with this white gel, and also another one to use only when the teeth get really sensitive.  My teeth never got sensitive because I was careful not to get any whitening gel on my gum.  The kit is very easy to use, because I could just put a bit of this whitening gel in each tooth slot of the mold, and wear it for 10-15 minutes right after I brush my teeth every night.  I would just put it in my teeth then wash my face and all that stuff.  By the time I was done, it was about time to take them out.  So it didn't cost me really any additional time of my night time routine.

My dentist told me to wear it for 10 days, and I had exactly 9 days before my wedding when I started.  So my wedding day was actually my 10th day.  I definitely noticed a difference of a shade or two by that day, but I feel like the most difference occurred on the last day or two.  But I was really glad it happened for me as it was the most important day!  I could even notice the difference in my smile on my photos.  During those days I was pretty diligent on not having any coffee or tea or wine, or anything that could stain my teeth.  And I tried to use the kit every night around the same time for maximum results.

So after I used it for 10 days straight, I stopped.  I am actually supposed to stop for a few months before starting again.  The kit has enough to last about 20 days, aka two 10-day sessions.  So I will use the rest probably around December or so.  However after stopping only like 5 days so far, I feel like my teeth have retracted and they aren't as white as they were last weekend.  It's hard to say because it depends on lighting and such.  But that is my gut feeling.  So that's kind of disappointing.  I was hoping it would at least last a month or so.  I still haven't had any coffee, tea or wine this week since I've been doing nothing but recuperating my eye at home.  I still brush my teeth and do not miss a single floss session.  I don't know what else I was supposed to do.

I guess the verdict is that this Zoom kit does work, but doesn't last.  I am interested to see if the results will be any different next time I use it though.  I think if I had time to do the in office session too, I probably would have longer lasting results.  But I can't complain since it was free, and it did its job on my big day.  If I spent a few hundred bucks on it though, I don't think I'd be that satisfied.

8 comments:

  1. Brush you teeth with bicarbonate of soda every night before regular toothpaste until you get the color you want and then once a week and after wine...

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  2. Interesting... I've never heard of that. Will have to look into it. Thanks!

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  3. Unfortunately, not all teeth are created equal. There are many teeth whitening products in the market. But some only work best when applied on certain teeth. But Lulu offered a decent solution if you want to do it the natural way.

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  4. There was a teeth whitening product sold in an infomercial some years ago. I don't know if it's effective or not, but like Jane said, it will still depend on your teeth. Follow your dentists' advice, of course.

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  5. Good to know. I've been thinking of doing zoom whitening in Edmonton but I'll have to find out about a few other people's experiences first.

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  6. It’s true that results may vary on different people. But at least you tried and experienced using the product first-hand, and got a noticeable result in your big day, although it didn’t last long. Anyway, if you're still thinking of getting your teeth whitened, it’s best to consult your dentist first. Who knows, the dentist might know of an effective solution that fits your needs.

    Garry Owen @ New Century Dental Group

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  7. When choosing a teeth whitening product always ask your dentist for a recommendation.

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  8. Odd, my dentist told me to use it for 6 days, 4 hours each day, so been sleeping with them, and noticed a huge difference. was advised to avoid colouring food an drinks for 2 weeks after ending treatment (coffee, cola, beetroot etc.) apparently it takes about 2 weeks for the teeth to have some kind of natural protective layer after whitening.

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