Originally published in The Probe. Click to find out more about White Dental Beauty.
As Optident highlights the latest addition to its White Dental Beaty range, White Dental Beaty Mild, we spoke with Optident’s product specialist in the Midlands, Petra Glew, to find out about the solution’s unique selling point and why whitening is experiencing a surge in popularity:
For those who are unfamiliar, what benefits does the White Dental Beauty range offer to dental practices?
First of all, whitening is huge in any practice. Not only is it a key component in aesthetic dentistry, but patients also having any kind of orthodontic or high-end aesthetic work are likely going to have their teeth whitened at some point. It’s an integral part of aesthetic work.
Secondly, whitening is something that patients are very much aware of themselves and proactively seek out. Therefore, it presents a great opportunity for practices to increase their revenue and it is essential that they have the right whitening solutions. Whitening products that are well presented and well packaged help accentuate the patient experience. This is where White Dental Beauty really comes into its own.
Optident’s marketing team have done a tremendous job of presenting the packaging. The White Dental Beauty range is really attractive and can be fully bespoked with the practice logo, while also providing marketing materials, including waiting room videos, social media and website content. Everything has been considered with the patients in mind.
Importantly, the White Dental Beauty range is cruelty free – vegan friendly and kosher-approved. Another big plus-point for a lot of practices is that these gels don’t need to be stored in the fridge. We’re aware of how tight space often is within practices, so this will free up some much-needed room.
At Optident, we have a long legacy with whitening. David Butterfield, who founded Optident in the 1980s, was instrumental in bringing around the changes to the tooth whitening laws in the 1990s, which ensured that dentists now have access to the percentages [of peroxide] that they need. As a business we have always included whitening as a core part of our portfolio, and we’ve grown with the knowledge and feedback gained from dentists to develop White Dental Beauty.
Our biggest differentiator is the unique formula within White Dental Beauty solutions called NOVON®. Without getting too scientific, when you have a whitening solution in the syringe, you need it to be stable. Then, as the solution is released, you need it to become unstable. For stability, the solution needs to start off slightly acidic, then transition to alkaline as it’s the alkalinity that causes the Peroxide to break down, release Perhydroxyl Ions which pass through the teeth and break up the Organic Molecules responsible for staining. On contact with the teeth, NOVON ® causes the pH of the gel to reach 8-8.5 in around 6-8 minutes, increasing this activity and the effectiveness of the whitening.
For this reason, and due to the incredible results that can be achieved, this is the only whitening gel that is accredited and educated by StyleItaliano, the biggest global community of dental professionals and respected KOLs.
Optident offers a 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening solution, which is the strongest percentage available in Europe and can whiten in as little as 30 minutes per day, whereas with other brands of the same percentage, you may need to wear for an hour to an hour and a half per day to achieve similar results. At just half an hour, it provides a level of convenience for patients as it is easier to incorporate into their daily routine.
We also have a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. This is a tried and tested formula more suited for overnight wear so the patient can whiten as they sleep.
In addition, we have a 16% carbamide, which has a wear time of one to two hours per day and is probably the most popular solution currently in the UK.
The latest addition to the range is White Dental Beauty Mild. How does this differ from the existing solutions on offer?
White Dental Beauty Mild is a 5% carbamide peroxide gel designed for patients with sensitive teeth. Independent studies from the Eastman Dental Hospital prove that White Dental Beauty Mild achieves the same results as a standard 10% carbamide peroxide. So, if you’ve got a patient who suffers from extreme sensitivity and is really quite worried about wearing whitening gels, perhaps because they’re scared that it might hurt, then the 5% Mild solution is absolutely the way to steer them.
Sensitivity is something that many people suffer from. Therefore, having an option that you can reassure your patients is designed to combat the issue is helpful. White Dental Beauty Mild is designed to help patients have the best possible experience. Additionally, in combination with NOVON®, the wear time is from 2 hours a day, so there’s less exposure than an overnight treatment.
Whitening is enjoying a surge of popularity at the moment. Is this all because of the so-called ‘Zoom Boom’?
We’ve seen a massive shift as a result of Covid. People were suddenly looking at themselves on a screen a lot more than they were before, and it was perhaps highlighting an angle that they might not have seen of themselves. Many were possibly noticing how their teeth look to other people for the first time. So, yes, it’s played a big part.
I also think that within dentistry itself, and aesthetic dentistry particularly, whitening is one of the areas in which people are far more aware of what is available to them. If you ask most patients what, if anything, they would want to change about their smile, I can almost guarantee you that 9 times out of 10, they’ll say that they want straighter, whiter teeth. Whitening and straightening are the two biggest patient awareness points in dentistry and that’s reflected by the growing aesthetic dentistry market. Optident and Henry Schein now offer Reveal clear aligners in addition to our whitening solutions.
From a patient motivational perspective, having straighter, whiter teeth will generally mean that they will look after their oral health better, because they have invested in them.
There are less areas for cavities build-up, which can ultimately result in caries, and it’s easier to keep teeth clean. So, there is this clinical aspect to aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry, which should never be forgotten.
Originally published in The Probe. Click to find out more about White Dental Beauty.