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Zoom! Teeth whitening

Hi guys,
My dentist is a very good private practice in Bath (albeit quite expensive!) and they offer Zoom! teeth whitening for £610. I have seen this advertised a lot cheaper in many other places- particularly in London. I am assuming this is the same procedure because it is the same brand of whitening!?!
Has anyone had it done? Can anyone shed some light on what I should do? Drury Lane Dental practice on the web says they can do it for 1/4 of the price as they currently have a promotion at the mo and I am in London regularly so it sounds good to me!
Any thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated- thanks as you can imagine this is something I do not want to rush into as my nashers are pretty damn important to me! :beer:
:j :jTotally and utterly debt free as of 27/05/09!!!:j :j

Comments

  • Lish_2
    Lish_2 Posts: 168 Forumite
    Forgot to add that I want it done in-house and not the trays to take home!
    :j :jTotally and utterly debt free as of 27/05/09!!!:j :j
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The take - home trays are much better for a lasting long-term result.

    A lot of Zoom places do the in-surgery stuff for instant white, but then recommend backing it up with tray/gel system.

    Personally, I only offer tray/gel as it's the most reliable, best 'bang for the buck'. Anything else I always think relies more on gimmickry than science!
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Xaviera
    Xaviera Posts: 286 Forumite
    or you can buy the trays and the kits online for a 1/3 of the professional price! I'd suggest getting a scale and polish first though.
  • JoeyEmma
    JoeyEmma Posts: 913 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sorry to thread hijack, but Toothsmith- what do you think of the Crest Whitestrips that they sell in America? I was thinking of getting my sister to send a box over?
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They're not licensed in this country.

    Tooth whitening isn't suitable for everybody, and can make some conditions in the mouth worse. This is why it should only be done by dental professionals following a thorough consultation and inspection.

    Plus - not everything whitens at the same rate, and things like crowns, veneers and white fillings don't whiten at all. So it'squite possible you could end up with a very patchy appearence if you go along the DIY route.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • JoeyEmma
    JoeyEmma Posts: 913 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thanks for the advice Toothsmith! Sorry Lish for the thread hijack.
  • jugglebug
    jugglebug Posts: 383 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Lish wrote: »
    Forgot to add that I want it done in-house and not the trays to take home!

    You mean you dont want it to last?

    As toothsmith said Tray whitening is most stable.
    At least some of the whitening from power whitening comes from dessication of the teeth. Then as the teeth get rehydrated they get a few shades darker again.
    Currently I dont offer power whitening for that reason. Although there is a demand, so perhaps I will in the future. However I get all my patients to read and sign a consent form before treatment as it is amazing how many forget important info (Like your tooth coloured fillings wont whiten etc) Any power whitening form I produce will point out that tray whitening is superior in terms of stability, and the only benefit to power whitening is speed
  • are Britesmile and Zoom the same? i ask, as we do Britesmile at my dental surgery and the results are always very good and tend to last for 2-3 years.
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 11 July 2009 at 10:54AM
    Same idea, different brands. Like Pepsi & Coke

    Tray and gel still give better results that last longer.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • I do not agree with you because I don't think so that only a dentist can overcome our problems or teeth whitening, because nowadays products are much more effective than a dentist treatment. Moreover instructions are given so that one can use it at home also.
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