Zoom2! Tooth Whitening at The Welbeck Clinic

So, the amazing people at the Welbeck Clinic have finished whitening my teeth, and I can't wait to show you the results.

Before:

After:

  I couldn't really be happier, I went a whopping six shades whiter!  (Important note: no photos in this post have had the colours adjusted in any way, the only changes I've made to the originals has been to crop them)  the difference is most noticeable in this picture here:

So, what does Zoom2! Whitening involve?  There are three stages,  Pre-whitening, Zoom2! Whitening itself, and a bit of aftercare.  I'll take you through the three stages of my experience here:


Pre-whitening:

After being fitted for trays to hold the pre-whitening gel (as detailed in my last post here), you spend four days using the trays for four hours a day - or overnight, as I did - in order to get your teeth ready for the laser treatment.  Basically, you're given a couple of tubes of gel, and you fill your trays with them, pop them in, and presto!  Whiter teeth!  Well, not quite, you have to make sure you don't over-fill your trays, or you can irritate your gums (I did this, please don't be like me, I had itchy gums for a while), and you can't eat or drink anything whilst the trays are in. I think you can see why I used them overnight, really ...  Oh, and you can't drink tea or coffee, eat curry, or anything with a tomato-based sauce or beetroot etc whilst the pre-whitening is going on.  Which, for four days of just white food can be a bit ... dull.  But hey!  Cheese and champagne were okay, so I did alright ...


The custom-made trays aren't the most comfortable thing in the world, but, they're thin, and won't make you feel like your mouth is overloaded with plastic.  It is important to remember to clean them only with cold water though, or they will distort and won't fit well.


Zoom2! Whitening


So, after four days of white food, and whitening at home, you'll be in the chair, what can you expect?  Well, I was pleased to find that the treatment was neither as painful nor as uncomfortable as expected, and the 90  minutes treatment time passed quite quickly.  The procedure is explained in a lot of detail - again mentioning that results are unpredictable, and are therefore not guaranteed - then the whitening begins.


There are two stages, and the first is the one that takes most time.  This is when they are isolating your teeth to ensure that neither the peroxide solution or the laser damages your gums.  You are put into a cheek retractor (sheckshy!), then cotton wool and gauze pads are put into place to absorb excess saliva, but it is still easy to breath, and you can swallow normally too. It's not the most comfortable I've ever been, but it's in no way painful, and you soon get used to the sensation. At this point they colour match your teeth - they use your canines as these are usually darker than your incisors.  

A gel is then placed onto your gums and set with an LED, and you're all set to start whitening.  The technician will paint a peroxide gel onto your teeth, and then the laser is set in place and your teeth are zapped for between 12-15 minutes.  This gel-then-zapping takes place three times, and it's oddly relaxing.  The room is quiet and dark, and it's actually difficult to stay awake through!  They do warn you that you may feel little "shocks" of sensitivity during the third round of lasering, but I was lucky enough not to suffer that.


Once the zapping has taken place, the gauzes and gel are quickly removed (in one go), and you are colour-matched again, this is where you discover how much whiter your teeth are, and it's quite astonishing to see.


Aftercare:


I won't lie, the 24 hours after getting my teeth lasered were a bit tough.  Whilst nothing was painful, per se, my teeth did "zing" for a full 24 hours afterward, to the extent where I was grumpy and wanting to scratch my gums to death.  The dentist did warn me about this, and I was given some oral-care gel to wear in my trays overnight if I was bothered by it at all, I was bothered by it, and using the trays did give me a little relief, I have to admit.  But, almost exactly 24 hours after the treatment, my teeth suddenly stopped itching - if you've ever had prickly heat, it feels exactly like that, only in your teeth - and I've not had a problem with them since.  There has been no increase in sensitivity at all since, and I've not had to use the gel since either.  I have switched to a sensitive toothpaste (Colgate  Sensitivity Pro-Relief + Whitening, in fact, it's very good) for the time being though, just in case.


You do still have to adhere to the white food diet for a few days afterwards, and, after a week of no tea, I can tell you that that first cup last Friday was the Best Cup of Tea EVAH.


So, am I glad I had it done?  Yes, definitely.  The shade of white I've been left with looks natural, and healthy (it's not over-white, like Simon Cowell or Jodie Marsh), and it's just brightened up my look in a subtle kind of way.  I look "better", somehow, in a way that's difficult for people to put a finger on.  And I love the look of them.


So, would I get it done again?  Yes, most probably.  The treatment last 2-3 years (with a top up at 18 months), and I think that will be more than enough time for me to forget how itchy my teeth were in that first 24 hours ... ! Plus, I love the subtle way that it has improved my looks!  Let's face it, I need a lot of help ...

Would I visit the Welbeck Clinic again?  In a heartbeat.  The lovely friendly staff, and the clean comfortable surgery makes visiting a pleasure rather than a chore, and there's nothing like sitting next to the occasional celebrity in the waiting room to make visiting more interesting than my usual dentist!  I'm considering booking in with them for my next hygienist appointment, in fact. 


You can find out more about tooth whitening at The Welbeck Clinic here.


The Fine Print: Get Lippie was a guest of The Welbeck Clinic, and is very, very grateful.


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