Product Insights by Michael Miyasaki

Whiter Teeth

I find what I hear across the country interesting and I’d like to hear from you about whiter teeth. In our practice, we offer in-office and take-home whitening, but I still meet dentists who do not offer any type of whitening services. In our office, we’ve had good success, and I define success where the patients finish the treatment happy and satisfied with the results. It often requires good communication so that the patient’s expectations are set to a reasonable level. How do you do this?

I remember the days of using a heat lamp to activate the whitener. Then we moved into the use of the laser, and now we use an assortment of various lights. I’ve had patients that want in-office treatment, even though I charge more for it and make them a set of take-home trays to get the best results, because often they don’t want the bother of having to wear trays—impatience is a sign of the times.

I’m interested in what the rest of you see, use, and maybe don’t use and the ‘whys’ of your selection.