Gunz Dental Insight

Teeth whitening doesn’t whiten teeth on a permanent basis, and it’s important that you give your patients that have been through this procedure the right instruction before they go home. The advice from the experts on teeth whitening is don’t let patients walk out without talking to them about home maintenance and prolonging their results. Without your information, they may not maintain their oral health and this will lead to the whitening effect to start wearing off within just one month. If patients don’t know how to look after their teeth after whitening, then chances are they will believe that you’ve done a bad job and may go to a competitor for their next treatment. 

The converse is true. The patients who follow your instructions are more likely to come back to your Practice for their next teeth whitening treatment and recommend you to family and friends rather than a competitor. 

There are 4 key points that patients who have had their teeth whitened would be well advised to consider;

• Dietary habits:

After having a teeth whitening treatment, your patients have to be particularly careful about what they eat and drink. There are a number of substances that are notorious for staining teeth, and these include: coffee, tea, red wine, berries and citrus fruit. If your patients simply can’t help themselves, advise them to use a straw to prevent it from coming into contact with their teeth.  

Tobacco also has a big impact on the colour of your teeth, and along with its other health hazards, it should be avoided to maintain the best level of whiteness.

Acidic foods eat away at the enamel of the teeth and will start impacting the results of the procedure almost immediately. 

Remember to remind your patients that if they do consume any of these substances that they should brush their teeth with a soft toothbrush or rinse immediately after consumption.  

• Take home kits:

This is a great opportunity to offer take-home kits like Bianco Professional Take Home Kits that come with touch-up pens or “on-the-go” solutions like Opal Go that can be used at home after the procedure for maintaining the shade of results.

The patient should be discouraged from purchasing over-the-counter teeth whitening kits are often too harsh on the teeth, and while they do work initially – the effects don’t last very long and overuse can strip the teeth of their enamel and result in increased sensitivity. Retailing an alternative to over the counter products from your practice will minimise the risk of a disappointed patient.  

• Daily oral hygiene:

Daily oral hygiene is also an imperative part of teeth whitening maintenance and the patient must follow good oral hygiene practices. Your patients should brush their teeth at least twice a day (make sure they are equipped with the right toothbrush and brushing technique), and floss at least once a day to remove excess plaque. Rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash once a day will help to kill bacteria, and using a good toothpaste will remove surface stains and prevent yellowing.

• Gels and preventative treatments:

While most teeth whitening treatments shouldn’t result in post-procedure sensitivity, some patients may already have tooth hypersensitivity and may struggle a little bit after the treatment. In this case, you should recommend products like Enamelon Preventive Treatment Gel to help alleviate and minimise teeth sensitivity symptoms. These kinds of products prevent cavities, build increased protection against painful sensitivity, mitigate gingivitis infections and help keep teeth white long after treatment.  

It’s important to give your patients the right information on how to maintain their bright smiles after dental whitening treatments. They will appreciate the advice and will be more likely to become repeat patients. 

Contact us for more information on our exclusive Bianco, Enamelon and GUM product ranges and Ultradent to help your patients maintain their shade and oral health.

Read our blog on tooth whitening for patients with tooth sensitivity.

Read our blog on how you can bring whitening back into your office