Take-Home Whitening System
The fluoride in the Fluorescent Whitening System helps to reduce sensitivity and increase enamel hardness.
Vista Apex introduced Fluorescence Take-Home Tooth Whitening System in February 2008. Beginning in June, the product name will change from Fluorescence to Fluorescent Take-Home Tooth Whitening System.
This new whitening product features 16% and 22% carbamide peroxide and contains fluoride to help reduce sensitivity. This dentist dispensed and supervised whitening system, is available in unit dose syringes that the manufacturer says are easy for patients to apply.
Product Effectiveness
Carbamide peroxide has been shown to work effectively to whiten teeth. Vista Apex's Fluorescent Whitening System is available in 16% and 22% carbamide peroxide formulations. According to the manufacturer, this clear and viscous gel stays in place in the whitening trays, to help maintain gel contact with the teeth surfaces. When the 8 dentists who dispensed this system in their practices were asked about its effectiveness, 7 rated it excellent to very good and 1 rated it as good. One evaluator commented that the product “worked well” and another said that his patients’ teeth were “visibly lighter.”
Patient Compliance
The evaluators were asked about the importance of patient compliance when purchasing a take-home whitening system to dispense in the office. Six said patient compliance is very important and 2 said it is important. When the dentists were then asked to rate the Fluorescent Whitening System on patient compliance, 7 rated it as excellent to very good and 1 rated it as good. One evaluator said that he found that patients complied with this system the same as they do with other similar take-home whitening systems.
Packaging
The Fluorescent Take-Home Whitening System comes in a Doctor’s Kit, which includes eight 1.2 mL prefilled syringes with tips, 1 tray case, and 2 EVA tray sheets. When the evaluators were asked to rate the packaging for this system, 6 rated it as excellent to good and 2 rated it fair to poor. One evaluator commented that there is “too much waste” and that the packaging could be more environmentally friendly. Another evaluator said that he liked the “clear packaging.”
When the dentists received their kits for this evaluation, each included a cheek retractor. Two of the evaluators commented that the retractor seemed unnecessary. Vista Apex recently decided to eliminate the retractor from the kits in response to these and other user comments.
Instructions
When the evaluators were asked to rate the system’s enclosed instructions, 7 rated them as excellent to good and 1 rated them as poor. The evaluators made a few suggestions that they think will enhance the instructions. One evaluator commented that “larger text” in important sections would aid in patient understanding and compliance. Another evaluator suggested adding photos or illustrations to facilitate proper use. A third evaluator noted some inconsistencies in the amount of time patients should wear the tray.
Ease of Use
Ease of use was rated as very important by 7 of the evaluators when purchasing a take-home whitening system. One evaluator rated ease of use as important. When the evaluators were asked to rate the ease of use of the Fluorescent Whitening System, 7 rated it as excellent to very good and 1 rated it as good. One evaluator commented that the “syringes work well and allow proper placement of the product in the tray.”
Overall Satisfaction
When the evaluators were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the Fluorescent Whitening System, 7 rated it as excellent to good and 1 rated it as fair. One of the evaluators said, “It’s a nice and easy system.”
