Older Patients and Teeth Whitening: Explain the “Why” to Get to “Yes”
Teeth whitening in older patients requires a combination of longer whitening time, the right whitening gel chemistry, and properly designed trays. Most dentists would agree that elderly patients require a more involved whitening protocol than younger patients. But do they know how to explain the “why” when discussing treatment with elderly patients? If they can, they’re more likely to achieve treatment acceptance
.
Dr. Rod Kurthy, whitening science expert and founder and CEO of KöR Whitening, recently wrote about why older patients require a more involved whitening protocol to achieve the best results. Here’s a summary:
- - Tooth structure is formed with different degrees of organic matter trapped inside the structure. Some types of matter are darker than others, and some people have more than other people.
- - Organic matter almost always gets darker over time when molecules attach to each other and get larger, forming more intramolecular bonds between atoms that become chromophore bonds. These chromophore bonds absorb visible light.
- - When extrinsic stain becomes intrinsic stain, the molecules move deeper and deeper into the areas between crystals—interprismatic, intraprismatic, and intercrystalline spaces. In other words, as we age, tooth structure becomes “plugged up” with a tightly packed, tightly woven mass of organic material throughout the tooth structure.
- - The result is a solid mass of organic material (stain) that hinders bleaching factors from entering the tooth structure to break apart molecules and convert the chromophore bonds.
To combat these challenges and achieve the best possible whitening outcome for elderly patients, teeth require extended constant contact with fresh, active peroxide to break up the dark organic matter into ultra-tiny molecules so they can be pushed out of the tooth structure via diffusion. But time isn’t the only factor. Treatment requires gel that stays active in the trays (including the cervical third) for and extended time. Whitening trays must be designed to prevent saliva and sulcular fluid from entering the trays and destroying the gel. Typical whitening gels lose their effectiveness after just 20 or 35 minutes, but KöR Whitening gels applied using specially designed KöR-Seal whitening trays remain active for 6+ hours, with some activity up to 10 hours.
Explaining the “why” behind treatment recommendations (in this case, KöR Whitening using KöR-Seal Trays) helps to engage patients in their oral healthcare. Keep it simple, but don’t talk down to patients. Guide them with science so they can achieve the best possible treatment outcomes.