Tooth "whitening" or "bleaching" is a cost effective cosmetic procedure if a lighter, brighter smile is all that you need. There are two methods of tooth lightening. One is home bleaching where we custom make a thin clear tray that fits your teeth precisely, and we supply you with tubes of the bleaching material. You place the material in the trays and wear them for several hours a day. Over a period of several days or weeks, depending on the individual, you may achieve a result of five to eight shades lighter than your original tooth color. The second method is the in-office bleaching technique. Our office uses the "ZOOM" machine as you may have seen on the TV show "Extreme Makeover". This process takes about one and one-half hours of chair time, and your bleaching procedure is complete. No need to wear messy trays at home for days on end. For an immediate lighter and brighter smile, "ZOOMING" is the way to go.