I Tried It and Loved It: An In-Office Teeth Whitening Session

Having your teeth professionally whitened is pretty straightforward. Your dentist will probably want to do a light cleaning and polishing beforehand (unless you've recently been to the hygienist). After, your dentist will place a device in your mouth that keeps your lips spread open, then will insert tissue and a special mixture around the gums to prevent them from being exposed to the whitening solution.

From there, the whitening solution is carefully painted on to your teeth. You'll be given a pair of glasses to protect your eyes, and then the blue Zoom light will be placed directly over your mouth for 15 minutes. After that time is elapsed, your dentist will repeat the painting process again. You'll have a total of three 15-minute sessions.

The ideal candidate for Zoom teeth whitening is anyone who's teeth are already in generally healthy shape. Since it can cause sensitivity, it's also best for people who don't already have very sensitive teeth. I personally don't have much sensitivity, and I didn't feel any sort of discomfort or pain.

Image courtesy Wendy Gould