In-office Zoom whitening with Dr. Nelly Silva, a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, completed in a single visit at our Arcola Road office.
Zoom is a professional whitening system made by Philips and applied in the dental chair. A hydrogen peroxide gel is painted onto the front surfaces of your teeth, and a Zoom light is positioned over your smile to help the gel work. The peroxide breaks apart the stain molecules that have settled into the enamel, so the shade of the tooth itself lifts. Polishing only cleans the surface; whitening changes the color underneath.
The gel goes on in timed rounds of about 15 minutes, and our team checks your comfort and progress between them. Most appointments run between one and two hours, including preparation. Because the work happens under supervision, the gel is stronger than anything sold for home use, and your gums, lips and cheeks are protected before it touches your teeth.
Whitening works on natural enamel that has picked up color over time. The right fit depends on what caused the color and what your teeth are made of.
If whitening is not the right tool for your smile, Dr. Silva will say so at your exam and walk you through the options that are.
Many patients weigh in-office Zoom against whitening at home. All three methods use peroxide. They differ in strength, speed and how closely the process is watched.
| Zoom In-Office | Custom Take-Home Trays | Store-Bought Strips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it happens | In the dental chair, applied by our team | At home, in trays shaped to your teeth | At home, with one-size strips |
| Gel strength | Professional strength | Lower strength, supplied by a dentist | Lowest strength, sold over the counter |
| Time to a visible change | One appointment | Usually one to two weeks of daily wear | Several weeks of daily use |
| Gum protection | Barrier placed and checked before the gel goes on | Trays trimmed to keep gel off the gums | None; strips can rest on the gums |
| Evenness | Gel placed tooth by tooth, including curved edges | Even when trays fit well | Edges and back teeth are often missed |
| Shade tracking | Measured before and after | Checked at follow-up visits | Judged by eye at home |
One appointment covers the whole treatment. Here is what happens from the moment you sit down.
We confirm your teeth and gums are ready and record your starting shade. A cleaning first, when you are due, helps the gel reach enamel evenly.
A cheek retractor holds your lips back, and a protective barrier is painted along the gumline.
The gel goes on, the Zoom light is positioned, and the timed rounds begin. You can rest or listen to music between checks.
We remove the gel, compare your new shade with the starting one, and may apply a desensitizing or fluoride treatment.
Fresh enamel picks up color easily. Choose light-colored foods and drinks, skip tobacco, and rinse with water after coffee or tea.
Dr. Silva earned her DMD at Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry, where she now teaches as a Clinical Associate Professor. She is a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, a postgraduate center for aesthetic and neuromuscular dentistry.
That aesthetic training shapes how she whitens. She plans your target shade around your whole smile, including the crowns or veneers you have now and any you may want later. Patients are welcome to call her Nelly.
★★★★★"Takes time for questions and gives detailed explanations. I felt very comfortable and relaxed."
Lynn M., Google Review
★★★★★"The positive energy, professionalism, modern tools and techniques, and personal touch all keep me and my family coming back."
Steven M., Google Review
Whitening is often one step in a larger plan. The order matters, because restorations are color-matched once and do not whiten later.
Whitening first lets new crowns, veneers or bonding be matched to your brighter shade rather than your current one.
Dr. Silva provides Invisalign, so whitening can be timed for when your aligner treatment wraps up.
A cleaning removes plaque and tartar that would block the gel, giving a more even result.
Dr. Michael Strassberg, who focuses on periodontics on our team, treats gum problems before cosmetic work when needed.
Your fee depends on your starting shade, whether a cleaning or other care comes first, and the result you want. We give you the exact cost at your consultation, before any treatment begins. Payment plans are available, and you can ask about our dental savings plan.
Answers to what patients ask us most before whitening.
How long the shade holds depends mostly on habits. Coffee, tea, red wine, cola and tobacco bring stain back sooner, while regular cleanings slow it down. We check your shade at routine visits and can suggest a touch-up when it starts to fade.
Every smile starts from a different shade, and natural enamel thickness affects how far it can lift. We record your starting shade and your final shade so you can see the change for yourself. The goal is a bright result that still looks natural next to your skin tone and any existing dental work.
Tell us about sensitivity at your exam so we can plan around it. We can apply a desensitizing treatment and adjust the number of gel rounds to suit you. Exposed roots or worn enamel are treated first when they are the cause.
No. We agree on a target shade with you before we begin and stop when you reach it. Whitening lifts the color of your own enamel, so the shape and translucency of your teeth stay the same.
Whitening changes the overall shade of the enamel, so isolated spots may blend in or may stand out more. If spots are your main concern, Dr. Silva will look at them at your exam. She may suggest a different or combined approach.
Most patients do not need a full repeat treatment for a long time. A shorter touch-up is usually enough when the shade begins to drift. We will tell you when a repeat makes sense based on your shade at your checkups.
Start with an exam and shade check with Dr. Silva. You will leave knowing whether Zoom suits your smile, what shade to aim for, and what it costs.
399 Arcola Road, Collegeville, PA 19426
