Tooth whitening has become like streaming TV services—so much noise and so many options, we don’t even know where to focus our time and attention anymore. HBO Max or Disney Plus? Hulu or Netflix? Tinder Swindler or The Great British Baking Show? With so many options, we end up tuning out before we even start.
Whitening is the same way. Should we invest time and money in buying and learning a new in-office whitening system? Should we only do custom take-home whitening? Do we need a special laser? Again, there are so many choices that we end up not doing anything and letting patients buy the stuff they see on TikTok.
Optic White Professional Take-Home Kit by Colgate is a simple option that can give us and our patients an easy choice when it comes to whitening their teeth.The key to the Optic White kit is the hydrogen peroxide serum pen and LED light-up whitening device. The quick-drying serum pen delivers hydrogen peroxide in an easy but concentrated form directly to dried anterior enamel. It's simple for patients to paint their enamel with the thin, concentrated hydrogen peroxide serum.
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Adhese Universal VivaPen by Ivoclar Vivadent
The whitening process starts with a good end-of-the-day brushing and flossing regimen. After drying the teeth with a tissue or paper towel, the patient uses the whitening serum pen to apply the hydrogen peroxide. The patient then places the LED device into their mouth and turns it on. They are then free to play Wordle (or whatever else they want to do) for the next 10 minutes. When the device beeps twice, it’s ready to remove.
The patient is then instructed to remove and clean the device and then go to bed with the serum still on the teeth overnight. In the morning they should brush and floss like normal to remove the serum. This process should be repeated for 5-10 nights until they’re satisfied with the results. It is an easy system resulting in little to no sensitivity.
Patients are used to the idea of at-home kits using LED light devices thanks to nonprofessional products being sold on social media. With the Colgate Optic White Professional Take-Home Kit, we can give them what they want from a trusted brand that they can get only from a dentist.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the April 2022 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
