Boasting an estimated market value of £600m, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, professional tooth whitening is an extremely attractive and lucrative treatment, and the ability to offer such a service to your patients will keep you at the cutting edge of cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry. In just one surgery visit you can give your patients a brighter shade and the celebrity-style smile they've been dreaming of through the effects of bleaching trays, strips or laser treatment.
Once the patient leaves the practice however, the maintenance of their new white smile becomes their own responsibility and they are faced with the daily intakes of tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco and spicy foods. Whilst these foods and drinks must be avoided for at least the first week after whitening, patients can rest assured that they don't have to give up these guilty pleasures completely, as one cost-effective solution that is often overlooked is whitening toothpastes, an excellent aid to maintaining whiter teeth post in-surgery treatment.
Patients are keen to minimise the effect of 'bounce back', a process which takes place a day or two after treatment whereby the teeth rehydrate and slightly darken. Enamel is naturally subject to abrasion but even more so after in-surgery treatment. The hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide ingredients reduce the hardness of the enamel making it essential for patients to practise a good oral care routine when at home.
Low in abrasion
After in-surgery treatment, patients should steer clear of highly abrasive toothpastes as they can damage the teeth and gums, removing the lustre of the teeth and dulling an otherwise beautiful smile. High stain removal doesn't have to mean high abrasion and by recommending a low-abrasion whitening toothpaste you can ensure your patients protect and restore the enamel calcification lost as a result of the bleaching process, helping maintain their white smile for longer.
The abrasiveness of toothpaste is measured according to the RDA (relative dentin abrasivity) value, and any value over 100 is considered to be abrasive. Unfortunately the RDA value is often not included in the marketing or promotional information supplied with toothpaste products, masking what is a common problem.
Goodbye sensitivity
After in-surgery tooth whitening treatment patients can experience sensitivity, this can be anything from a mild twinge to having severe discomfort that can last for several hours, or even days. Highly abrasive toothpastes can add to this pain, as they continue to wear away the enamel.
For these patients it is advisable to use a low abrasion, desensitising, whitening toothpaste which contains the ingredient potassium citrate. This desensitising agent will help relieve tooth sensitivity by effectively blocking the transmission of pain sensation between the nerve cells, so that tooth whitening is no longer a sensitive subject. Ultimately, by switching to a low-abrasive whitening toothpaste patients can reduce the risk of suffering from sensitive teeth from the outset.
Whiter, brighter smile
As a new generation of whitening toothpaste offers a tooth-friendly solution post in-surgery treatment, patients are now able to restore their teeth to a natural white colour for longer. Communicating the benefits of good maintenance routines through the use of whitening toothpastes after in-surgery whitening treatments will help patients retain the smile they desire and a healthy mouth, providing a solid foundation for further treatments as desired.