In office teeth whitening is the best teeth whitening method for stained and yellow teeth. The ability to control the application process and to assure compliance makes it the better choice as opposed to home whitening kits.
However, this being said, a significant portion of your business will be customizing bleach trays for use with home whitening kits. The patient will need some instruction on how to use the Life-Like home whitening kits. This is easily accomplished by following the guidelines set out by the company to assist in patient education.
Here is a simplified version of how to help your patients develop a bright, white smile while going about their normal daily routines. The 30% carbamide gel solution along with the custom made whitening trays insure fast, easy, noticeable results in as little as seven to ten days. The whitening reviews show that patients will have a better compliance rate if the program is shorter in duration. In a tooth whitening comparison the use of the stronger, faster acting 30% carbamide gel experienced a better rate of patient compliance than with other less potent tooth whiteners.
The 13 Easy Steps to A Whiter and Brighter Smile for your Patients:
1. The initial consultation. In this in office consultation the dental professional will examine the teeth using normal procedures and will also use a color chart to determine a benchmark color as the process is begun. A photo will be taken to accurately record the initial condition.
2. Each whitening tray will be custom made by forming a mold and then using the molds to make the actual trays that will be used in the home whitening kits.
3. The use of the product should be explained to the patient in detail. The dental professional will show the patient how to load the product, how to dispense it, and how much product to use. You can also find these helpful hints in the patient instruction booklets.
4. The care of the home whitening kits will be explained and the possible side effects such as pulpal sensitivity will be addressed.
5. The initial tooth whitening session is recommended to be done in office so the patients will be comfortable and confident using their home whitening kits. This step will increase patient compliance.
6. The patient will begin the program at home using the recommended 30% gel solution 20-30 minutes twice a day. Explain how the patient can do this during a morning shower, on their commute, watching a favorite TV show, on a walk, etc. The more normal the patient can keep their routine, the more likely they will continue to comply with the program regimen.
7. A follow-up call the next evening will help the patient feel cared for and confident. Any questions the patient has can be answered during this conversation.
8. Approximately five days after the first appointment a second appointment should be held to check progress and address any patient issues or concerns.
9. Check the color chart against the whitened teeth of the patient and take a new photo and reading of the current color.
10. Determine the level of whiteness attained through use of the home whitening kits and ascertain if more progress can be made with continued 30% gel treatments.
11. If more progress is needed then have the patient continue use of their home whitening kits with the 30% carbamide gel and set up a follow-up appointment.
12. If the patient has attained all the whitening desired or attainable then help them establish a maintenance program we suggest every 9 months. A good time to check back with them is when they come back for their semi annual cleaning and check up.
13. Continue to monitor the success of the home whitening kits and the health of the patient’s teeth. This will help to firmly establish the good provider/patient relationship.
