Teeth Whitening Options: Zoom, Custom Trays or Ready-Made Trays?
A brighter smile can make photographs, special occasions and everyday conversations feel easier. Choose a professionally planned option that fits your deadline, lifestyle and sensitivity.
Professional whitening brands we trust
Genuine, dentist-supervised systems selected to suit different goals, schedules and sensitivity needs.
Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed
SDI Pola Day CP
Opalescence Go
Choose the whitening experience that fits your life
Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed
A noticeably brighter start in one professionally supervised appointment—ideal before weddings, holidays or important events.
Fastest professional option.
Custom trays + SDI Pola
Gradual control, precise gel placement and reusable trays for convenient future top-ups.
Best long-term flexibility.
Opalescence Go
Professional whitening without waiting for scans, impressions or custom trays.
Convenient pre-filled option.
1. Zoom professional in-chair whitening
With Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed, the lips and gums are protected before professional hydrogen peroxide gel and controlled blue LED cycles are used. Treatment is adjusted to your starting shade and sensitivity.
Zoom WhiteSpeed uses 25% hydrogen peroxide, so gum protection, timing and professional supervision matter. The aim is a brighter, natural-looking smile rather than simply maximum exposure.
Zoom provides the fastest start. Custom trays can then make maintenance easy as coffee, tea, red wine and normal ageing gradually affect the shade again.
2. Custom take-home whitening trays
Custom trays are made from a scan or impression for close, comfortable gel placement. They are reusable for the initial course and convenient future top-ups.
Professional home gels include 6% hydrogen peroxide, slower-release 10–16% carbamide peroxide and SDI Pola Day CP 35% carbamide peroxide for very short daytime sessions. We prescribe the concentration and wearing time to suit your teeth and sensitivity.
They require regular wear, but offer excellent control over shade, sensitivity and long-term maintenance.
3. One-size-fits-all professional take-home trays
Opalescence Go uses pre-filled professional trays that adapt to the mouth, allowing treatment to begin without a scan or impression.
It is an appealing convenient trial or short course. For repeated maintenance over years, custom trays provide greater precision, control and reusability.
Hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide and purple products
Hydrogen peroxide
Fast acting: commonly 6% in professional home systems and 25% in supervised Zoom WhiteSpeed treatment.
Carbamide peroxide
Slower releasing and suited to home whitening. The percentage is not directly comparable with hydrogen peroxide; SDI Pola Day CP provides a short-wear 35% option.
Purple colour correctors
Purple dye can briefly disguise yellow tones, but it does not bleach enamel. The effect is optical and temporary.
Professional versus supermarket and chemist whitening
| Product type | What it usually does | Typical concentration or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Whitening toothpaste | Polishes or removes external surface stain. | Often contains no bleaching peroxide and cannot substantially change the underlying tooth colour. |
| Retail strips, pens or generic trays | May bleach mildly, remove surface stain or use a peroxide-free ingredient. | Formulations vary. Check the active ingredient and stated concentration rather than relying on the word “whitening”. |
| Purple pastes or serums | Temporarily changes how yellow tones appear. | Colour correction rather than peroxide bleaching. |
| Professional custom take-home | Controlled whitening with reusable, precisely fitted trays. | Options include SDI Pola Day CP 35% carbamide peroxide, 6% hydrogen peroxide and 10–16% carbamide peroxide. |
| Opalescence Go | Convenient professional whitening without custom trays. | Pre-filled, ready-made tray system. |
| Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed | Rapid, supervised in-chair whitening. | 25% hydrogen peroxide with gum protection and professional monitoring. |
Retail availability and formulations change, so there is no single supermarket concentration that represents the whole category. The meaningful comparison is the labelled active ingredient, its concentration, how accurately it is delivered and whether your teeth are suitable for whitening.
Keep your smile looking fresh
Whitening is not permanent, but maintenance can be simple. A practical programme may combine:
- A dental check, starting shade and realistic target.
- Philips Zoom for a faster initial change, where appropriate.
- Custom trays for refinement and occasional home top-ups.
Coffee, tea, red wine, smoking and personal preference affect maintenance. Brief occasional top-ups are usually more practical than waiting for all the colour to return.
What whitening cannot change
Peroxide whitens natural tooth structure. It does not change the colour of crowns, veneers, bridges, implants or tooth-coloured fillings. These restorations may look darker after the surrounding teeth whiten and sometimes need to be replaced if shade matching is important.
Whitening also cannot correct every cause of discolouration equally. A single dark tooth, developmental staining, cracks, thin enamel or internal discolouration may need a different approach. This is one reason an assessment before whitening is useful.
Sensitivity and safety
Temporary tooth sensitivity and gum irritation are the most common unwanted effects. They can often be managed by adjusting concentration, wear time or treatment frequency, and by using desensitising products where appropriate.
Do not place household hydrogen peroxide or unlabelled internet products directly on the teeth. Whitening should be delayed or modified where there is untreated decay, cracked teeth, exposed roots, significant gum inflammation or unexplained pain.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zoom better than take-home whitening?
Neither is automatically better. Zoom is faster and professionally supervised; custom trays provide gradual control and are reusable for maintenance. Many patients benefit from combining them.
How long does whitening last?
There is no fixed expiry date. Diet, smoking, oral hygiene, starting shade and maintenance all matter. Periodic short top-ups can maintain the result more efficiently than repeating a full course.
Will crowns and fillings whiten?
No. Peroxide changes natural tooth structure but not porcelain, ceramic or composite resin. Visible restorations may need reassessment after the final tooth shade stabilises.
Does purple toothpaste whiten teeth?
Purple colour correction can briefly reduce the appearance of yellow tones. It does not bleach the tooth internally and the visual effect is temporary.
Is a stronger gel always better?
No. Higher concentrations can increase sensitivity and require more control. Fit, contact time, consistency and the cause of discolouration are equally important.
Should I have a clean before whitening?
Surface stain and calculus should be assessed first. A professional clean may improve the starting appearance and helps identify areas requiring treatment before bleaching.
Ready for a brighter smile?
We will check your teeth and help you choose the experience that fits your smile, sensitivity and schedule—Philips Zoom, custom trays, Opalescence Go or a combination plan.
Call 07 5593 6461 or book your whitening assessment online.
This guide is general information and does not replace a clinical examination. Individual suitability, products and instructions vary.