At-home whitening is an option that is appealing for many dental patients. How should dentists and team members set expectations for patients, though? Dr. Tom Giacobbi is here with another installment of his Just a Minute, Doc series with some advice that has helped him in his practice.
Video transcript
"Do you have a minute to talk about whitening?
"When it comes to at-home whitening, it's important to temper your patient's expectations. We start with the instructions for use.
"If the patient's going to start whitening for the first time, I recommend they start with just one arch. I want to find out how sensitive they might be, if at all. And, second, I want them to be able to see the change. If they believe it's working, they're much more satisfied with the outcome.
"The second thing we emphasize when it comes to at-home whitening is the fact that they can use the trays for touch-ups. Patients love to be able to refresh the results.
"The last thing we tell patients is we call it 'whitening,' but we really mean lightening, because if your teeth started as dark green, the best I can do is make them light green. I can't turn them from green to white.
I hope you have fun getting your patients' smiles as bright as they can be. Now, let's get back to work."
