Professional-strength whitening finished in one appointment, with a shade goal set by Dr. Nelly Silva, a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for aesthetic dentistry.
Each patient below was photographed in our office before and after whitening, framed the same way both times. Where a shade tab sits beside the teeth, compare it across the two photos to see how far the color moved.
Zoom is the in-office whitening system made by Philips. Our team paints a hydrogen peroxide gel onto the front surfaces of your teeth, then sets the Zoom lamp in front of your smile to speed the gel up. The peroxide reaches stain molecules held inside the enamel and breaks them apart, so the tooth itself gets lighter rather than just its surface.
Because a dental team applies and times it, the gel can be stronger than anything sold for home use. Your lips and gums are shielded before it touches a tooth. We read your shade with a shade guide at the start and again at the end, so the change is measured rather than guessed.
Zoom works on natural enamel that has picked up color. The cause of that color decides how well it responds, so we identify it at your exam before recommending anything.
Decay and gum disease are treated before whitening, and Dr. Michael Strassberg provides periodontal care in our office. If you are in Invisalign with Dr. Silva, we time whitening for when your aligners come out for good.
The whitening itself takes one appointment. Here is the path from your first exam to your first two days at home.
We check your teeth and gums, find the cause of the color and record your starting shade. A cleaning comes first if one is due.
Dr. Silva agrees a realistic target with you, taking your skin tone and any crowns or veneers into account.
A retractor holds your lips and cheeks back, and a protective barrier is painted along your gums.
The gel goes on, the Zoom lamp is set in place and timed rounds begin, with a check on you after each one.
We read your new shade against the start. For 48 hours, choose pale foods and drinks and skip tobacco.
We offer more than one way to whiten, so the choice follows your stain and your schedule. Here is how the three most common routes differ.
Professional gel applied by our team in the chair, sped up by the Zoom lamp.
Combines custom-fitted trays worn at home with whitening in our office, over several weeks.
Lower-strength gel on a one-size strip, used without a dental exam.
Dr. Silva earned her DMD at Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry, where she now teaches as a Clinical Associate Professor. Her postgraduate training includes the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, a center for aesthetic and neuromuscular dentistry, and her peers nominated her for 40 Under 40.
That aesthetic training shapes the shade goal. A whiter tooth is not always the right one, so she weighs your skin tone, your gumline and any existing restorations before the gel goes on. She invites patients to call her Nelly.
One of these patients mentions whitening by name. Both describe what a visit to our office is like.
★★★★★"The staff is very professional, super friendly, and I love the modern equipment. They took great care of my teeth: the X-rays, cleaning, and whitening."
Liz, Google Review
★★★★★"The facility is spotless and inviting, and I'm always seen right at my appointment time."
Kawaii Crafters, Google Review
Your fee depends on your starting shade, whether a cleaning or other care comes first, and how many gel rounds your teeth need. You receive the exact cost at your consultation, before any treatment begins.
Answers to what patients ask us before they whiten.
It depends on the stain rather than the brand. For coffee, tea, wine and age-related yellowing, Zoom is a strong choice because it finishes in one visit. For deep gray banding from childhood medication, we may suggest KöR whitening, and our own KöR cases include tetracycline staining. A single tooth darkened from the inside needs its own plan.
Most white spots were already in the enamel before treatment and simply stand out more right after whitening, when the teeth are slightly dry and the surrounding enamel is lighter. Many soften over the following days as the teeth rehydrate. If you already see white spots, tell us at your exam so we can plan around them before any gel goes on.
Zoom is done in a single appointment. Most of that time is the timed gel rounds, with preparation before them and a final shade reading after. We give you the expected length when you schedule, so you can plan the trip from Blue Bell.
That depends mostly on habits. Coffee, tea, red wine, cola and tobacco bring color back sooner, and routine cleanings help the shade hold. We compare your shade at checkups and tell you when a touch-up is worth doing.
No. Restorations keep the shade they were made in, so only natural enamel lightens. If you are planning new crowns or veneers, whitening first lets us match the new work to your brighter shade.
Often yes, as long as you mention it at your exam. We look for the cause first, such as worn enamel or exposed roots, and treat it before whitening. We can also adjust the number of gel rounds and apply a desensitizing treatment.
Blue Bell and Collegeville are both in Montgomery County, and Zoom is finished in one appointment, so there is a single trip to plan. If a checkup is due, we can line up your cleaning and whitening together.
At your exam you will learn whether Zoom suits your teeth, which shade is realistic and what it costs.
Advanced Dentistry of Collegeville399 Arcola Road, Collegeville, PA 19426
