Tooth whitening 101 – part five

Dentistry Study Club hosted numerous webinars with Andy Wallace, Megan Fairhall and Affan Saghir on tooth whitening recently. Now is the final part of a five-part series include everything you need to know about offering tooth whitening in your dental practice.

Lockdown has been an opportunity for the dental profession to catch up on their education.

Philips Oral Healthcare patronized a number of webinars on tooth blanching. The Philips team were delighted to see how so many dentists, hygienists and healers were fervent to better understand the subject.

Aerosol-free tooth whitening is an alluring pattern developer, which can involve the whole dental team. Here are the questions and refutes provided by Dr Affan Saghir, Dr Andrew Wallace and dental hygienist Megan Fairhall during their webinars.

Protocol Can therapists or hygienists carry out the tooth whitening?

Andrew Wallace: Chairside is great for cleanlines/ therapists. But only when prescribed by a dentist, with the dentist targeting the first application and is in the building.

What are the steps a hygienist should make when treating a whitening case?

Megan Fairhall: A gossip with the patient will give you precious informed about how best to proceed.

Their tooth health, their dental history, their sensibility stage, their penchants when it is necessary to whitening, the duration they apprehend or can cope with, the financial consideration, the time they have and want to dedicate, whether they would struggle with night trays etc.

Once they have realize the dentist, been referred to the hygienist via the prescription, gone through the management programme and agree model, you need to factor in an appointment for impressions before the actual treatment. That means you need to consider your lab turnaround time. Unless you can do it in house and your dental nurse can originate the trays.

For the first gel employment, the dentist needs to be on site. You demonstrate how to use the tray and provide them with all the instructions to take home.

Two weeks down the line, you get cases back in for a quick review and that can be with the hygienist/ therapist. You determine if they are happy with the results, if there is a requirement to any top ups, and you take photographs of the after shades.

Is there a reason why dentists have to attend the firstly rally gel work?

Megan Fairhall: It is crucial stated by the GDC.

Should you make X-rays before attending whitening?

Andrew Wallace: I could not justify doing this with no other factors evident.

What is your hygiene maintenance protocol for individual patients after the tooth whitening session?

Andrew Wallace: The 3×3 upkeep as set forth in my webinar.

Time you prefer night time or daylight experience whitening?

Andrew Wallace: My preference is Daywhite for 60 minutes per day.

Is there any advantage to air polishing prior to initial gel work?

Andrew Wallace: The teeth should be clean and free of skin-deep extrinsic stains.

Practice structure How do I get the whole dental team involved with whitening?

Megan Fairhall: The report contains various intellects we should involve the whole team.

When a patient makes an initial enquiry, the first port of call is likely to be with the celebration staff or medicine coordinator. They should be knowledgeable on the whitening process and what appointments need booking.

Patients will naturally expect them to have an overall idea of what it implies. If the enquiry does not give rise to a booking immediately, booklets are ideal to take home to reflect on.

If your members of staff have had whitening, they also end up becoming whitening preaches with their first-hand experience.

Staff can also help with printing consent figures and scanning. They can also be involved in marketing, whether it is helping with social media or mailing specific contents to patients.

All in all, it helps the dentist and dedicates them a new job role that ultimately improves morale and gets them to utilise new skillsets.

Dental wet-nurses can take impress as part of the whitening process, or educate dwelling trays. They are also welcome to make before and after photos.

I think that working together as a team stirs the patient journey a much better experience. They be brought to an end raving about the whitening and that’s how you get more patients.

Time dentists prefer carrying whitening therapies themselves?

Megan Fairhall: It depends on practices and dentists’ clinical situation.

Principals and practice owners tend to refer to hygienists more than accompanies do.

My stance on this is that if you have very good relationships with them and they move a very busy practice, they are more likely to refer to you for whitening.

What is the recipe to complete many cases in the first year?

Andrew Wallace: I extended several approaches in the webinar. But it is crucial to pick the right the circumstances and to substantiate them well. A portfolio of your own work is a powerful tool.

Why should we offer whitening?

Megan Fairhall: 99.7% of beings think that a smile is a social resource. More importantly, if we look at fleshes, demand for tooth whitening has increased by 300% over the past five years.

For members of staff, it increases their position profile and overall job satisfaction. In these challenging days, with fallow time to factor in, it means that you can utilise downtime more effectively between consultations.

All in all, it is a good way to increase receipts as it is a non AGP procedure. People love whitening – it’s minimally invasive, it holds an nearly instant wow ingredient, it boosts their confidence, and it is safe and effective.

From a dental professional’s perspective, it is a way of opening new entrances as cases start relying us more and look at some bonding or orthodontic management afterwards.

How much does blanching management expense?

Megan Fairhall: Treatment costs generally vary depending on where you work. I show you do your own research and see what is currently being blamed in your area.

Would you offer whitening at a time of COVID-1 9?

Megan Fairhall: This is dependent on practices.

At the moment my rehearsals have had to focus mainly on emergency treatments.

Having said that, I have be put into practice many virtual consultations with cases as I am planning to come back in August/ September. The video consultations are ideal to go through the various options of tooth whitening, patients’ history as well as expectations.

The waiting list is very promising.

Who can I talk to if I am unsure about anything with regards to whitening?

Megan Fairhall: It is important that you speak to your indemnifier. They are the ones who will cover you. You it is necessary get everything in writing too.

Further learning

Are you offering whitening routes? What about Philips lunch and learns?

Megan Fairhall: We are running courses once a month for hygienists. At the moment they are online, and the feedback has been excellent.

Philips is also offering a Sonicare toothbrush to each designate completing the course.

Lunch and learn with the Philips educator team are also available. You can email me, letter me on Instagram or go to the Eventbrite website for more information.

For more information visit www.philips.co.uk/ dentalprofessional or bellow 0800 0567 222.

Previous steps

Part one Part two Part three Part four.

The post Tooth whitening 101- responsibility five saw first on Dentistry.co.uk.

Read more: dentistry.co.uk