some advice on tooth whitenting

ok so im usually not so vain but i quit smoking a year ago - got my teeth straight with invisalign (highly recommended - FM if you want an awesome ortho) so i decided to try to get my teeth whitened b4 my wedding.

i travel full-time for a living so 2 weeks b4 my wedding i got the ZOOM procedure done in Nashville, TN by a great dentist. here is the problem..... i got a chemical burn on the inside of my bottom lip from the uv rays. i thought i felt a stinging but i didnt say anything so i partly blame myself for this. there was a good size white blister just inside my bottom lip the day after the procedure. i didnt freak out bc i was sure that it would be gone in the 2 weeks i had b4 the wedding. well.....it got better but it wasnt gone. THANKFULLY you cant see it in the pictures but that added undue stress to the last week of planning. my husband and i had some laughs about it tho so it didnt ruin my day. but if i had to do it again, i think it was a waste of money. i didint know that everyones teeth are different - i have 'gray' teeth so my whitening boosted the color about 4 shades. which looked great in pics but it wasnt the $500 bang that i hoped for (some people can get their teeth 11 shades whiter).

if youre gonna get this done --go at least a month before your wedding. they give you a mold of your teeth and prescription powered whitening gel that helps maintain the white long after the procedure. my teeth got whiter as i used it!

ha, i have to say my wedding day was perfect so i needed some kind of glitch, i guess??!?

Yeah! I just found out tonight at the dentist that people have different color teeth. I have grey front teeth and yellow side teeth. Some people have all grey or all yellow and some are brown. It works best with the yellow teeth. The grey only gets a few shades lighter. And the whitening should be done 1 month prior to the wedding!

edit: Don't be grossed out! If you look at my pic I have white teeth!

I like the trays better. I am way too sensitive to do the Zoom...but I worked in a dental office for years during college and so I have seen many people get it done.


Thanks for the great advice.

great advice- I had Zoom done because I won it FREE at the Bridal Extravaganza in February...I loved it.

Dr. Laura Zanelli's office (the booth that had the raffle) recommended that I use a lot of flouride for 2 weeks before the process, and I listened - BEST ADVICE EVER! I had ZERO sensitivity/pain from the whitening. I used ACT flouride mouthwash and a colgate toothpaste that said 'flouride' on the box...I'm happy with the results. My top teeth took better than my bottom. The average person can't see a difference when looking at me, but I notice a difference.