Dr. Kenneth Hamin

Do you think over-the-counter whitening products are effective?
Yes and no. When it comes to whitening products, because the claims being made by manufacturers are cosmetic, there is no regulatory body to police whether something is effective or something isn’t. For example, the research shows that whitening toothpastes have almost no affect whatsoever in whitening your teeth. When it comes to other products such as Crest Whitestrips or some of the gels, they are effective to a limited extent or for a limited time period.   

Are there any dangers from using drugstore whiteners?
I mentioned before, because they’re cosmetic claims it’s kind of buyer beware. For example, years ago there was a certain whitening product out there that contained citric acid and as a result it had a low pH so it caused demineralization of the tooth-it weakened the tooth structure. At that time, that was the one most people used. Nowadays most of the manufacturers have something that is pH balanced so there is no acidity association with it, and as a result the tooth structured isn’t harmed. The ones in the office, distributed through the dentist…they are completely safe.

What do you think is the best option for whitening?
If your looking for something that’s going to be effective and longer-lasting, you want to get something that is either custom-made in the form of a custom tray that is worn at night or during the day at home, or custom-delivered. Custom-delivered means applied in the office in a time span which is usually an hour-and-a-half to two hours. That is the Cadillac treatment, which is called laser whitening or Zoom! whitening and the home bleaching is kind of second best.

What is the difference between Zoom! whitening and bleaching with trays?
Zoom! whitening takes what normally would take a couple of weeks at home and gives you a better effect in two hours.

Which provides better results?
The newest technology is Zoom! Advanced and that is a very important question for people to ask if they are phoning around. You are going to get what you pay for. There’s decreased sensitivity with Zoom! Advanced ersus the Zoom! 1 or Zoom! 2. So less sensitivity, better results and longer lasting.

How long will our pearly whites stay that way after a bleaching session?
One of the more recent studies showed no visual difference three years after the Zoom! Advanced whitening. That’s subject to take home  diet habits: red wine, coffee, tea.