Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
So you mentioned teeth whitening products and I know that’s what we’re talking about today, but let’s back up for a second because choosing the right whitening solution can be very difficult for many patients and it can be difficult for professionals dentists to choose the right system for the different individual needs of their patients. Could you please discuss the differences between over the counter and professional whitening products or services?
Dr. John Flucke:
Well, I think, as a dentist, we’ve all seen people who will come in for preventive care. They decided to use an over-the-counter kit. Either it didn’t work very well or they didn’t get the results they wanted or the worst case scenario is they didn’t realize that “my composites don’t lighten like my teeth” and end up with these blocky results because they have an A3 composite and suddenly they have a A1 smile and said, “No one told me it would end up like this.” And of course they are disappointed. “Well, we can fix it, but we’re going to have to relay all the things you’ve done,” or heaven forbid they have any kind of anterior porcelain, which we know isn’t going to lighten, then you’re having the difficult conversation with someone to say, “Well, we can make the three-quarter crowns or crowns or veneers or whatever to make them match, but the only way we can do that is to start over, take them out, start from the beginning.”
I mean, obviously there’s a lot of frustration and if they come to us as professionals, we can give them a solution that works. We might as well let them know ahead of time, “Here’s what you can expect. These are the limitations. You’re a good candidate. You’re a poor candidate,” or whatever. And I hate letting people down.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
Me too. But you know what? I’m always concerned, especially with some over-the-counter products, that some whitening products or some whitening attempts aren’t really safe. And so I think it’s very important for us as dental professionals to focus on safety. And so let’s talk a little bit about the Philips Sonicare teeth whitening kits because there are specific benefits that I think patients will really enjoy.
Dr. John Flucke:
The great thing about Philips Sonicare teeth whitening kits is that, number one, they come from a dental office only. So we have that control. We can recommend it to people we know are good candidates for teeth whitening. So it comes in two different colors and two different powers. It comes in 6% and 9.5% hydrogen peroxide. It’s a grab-and-go solution so you can actually recommend it to the patient and they can start that night if they want to. You don’t have to get impressions or make records or anything like that, which is one of the huge pluses.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
This is really interesting. Now you mentioned that it is only available through a dental office. So I can see dental offices or dental groups thinking, “Okay.” They may feel one way or another about it. So from your perspective, what value do you see for dental professionals and patients in facilitating that purchase through their provider?
Dr. John Flucke:
It’s trust. I mean, they come in there and I tell patients all the time, “Dentistry is scary.” People come to you as a professional because they trust you. You have that confidence. And there are a few things with that. Number one, they expect us to give them the best recommendations that we can make. And second, they expect that these situations, these products, whatever we recommend them, will work. And one of the great things that I just love about the Philips Sonicare name is that people know that name. I was trying to think, I can’t remember the last time I mentioned Philips Sonicare and a patient said, “What? What’s that?” I mean, everybody knows the name. And so when you tell people that this is a Philips Sonicare product, not only do they trust you, but they also get that instant confidence in the product because the product has such a great reputation, not only in the dental industry, but lay people as well.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
I could not agree more. I also think that, from a dental professional perspective, I am in control to be able to hand them a product, explain to them how to use it properly, and then be able to provide follow-up. I always laugh, sometimes when it’s toothpaste or something that you hand out in the office and, say, a patient disappears for two years, and you make a recommendation for toothpaste and they say, “Oh, I’ve got some left.” Well you know they’re not using it right.
Dr. John Flucke:
Correctly.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
So I think that’s something that, having that control, knowing how many times they’re refilling it or making sure they’re using it properly and also providing a product that’s safe for them, you really can’t put a price on it. So what is your most important suggestion for patients and/or other dental professionals regarding the impact of this innovative whitening system?
Dr. John Flucke:
In addition to trust and control, what’s great about dental professionals is that we can recommend it with confidence, we know it will have good results and the fact that it’s a grab-and-go product. it reduces our costs, it reduces our chair time.
The product comes with thermoplastic trays that the patient actually immerses in warm water at home. They shape it to the teeth. There’s a little carrying case that comes with it so they can then put those trays in there when they’re clean and not in use. It also comes with three syringes in a kit. The syringes themselves are the dual mixing syringes we are all familiar with in dentistry. They tipped him a little. It comes with a card that shows them how to use it. There’s also a nice little picture on the syringes with a little dot that says, “This is how much material you put on each tooth on the tray.” And each syringe is good for three uses. So when they get three syringes, you know they have nine uses. You know it will work in that amount of time.
One thing I really like is that my wife has very sensitive teeth and I kind of refer to her as the canary in a coal mine. And so when someone comes into my office, a salesperson, “Oh, we have this new whitening product. Oh my God. It causes zero sensitivity.” And then I bring it home and give it to my wife and say, “Put it on for about 20 minutes and tell me what to think.” Many times she puts it on and says “Holy” and takes it off by rinsing her mouth. Well, the next day he gets up and has a glass of orange juice and goes “ah.” What he told me was that he said he used 6%. The next morning she said, “I only had a tiny, tiny lump. I could tell it was doing something, but it wasn’t pain.” And that was the only complaint he had in the whole process.
One of the other things that’s nice is that it comes with a little shadow guide that patients can stand in front of their mirror and hold up and see, “This is where I started.” And then as they go along, they can say, “Wow. Look how I finished.” Because we’ve all had those situations where someone walks into your office and bleaches and leaves a shade and comes back and they’re much lighter but they can’t tell. They say, “I don’t think it did anything,” because we don’t see gradual changes. We don’t notice that we lose two kilos. We just say, “I don’t think this diet is working. My clothes, whatever.” And yet someone sees them and says, “Wow, you’ve lost weight.” So gradual changes as human beings we simply do not notice. So I love the fact that they can actually measure their success.
But I also say that when you’re in dentistry, now you’re a prosthodontist, so maybe you feel differently about it, Pam, but I never get up in the morning or my assistants don’t get up in the morning and go, “Yeah. More impressions today. More goop for feeling. More alginate to mix.” I’m not even allowed to mix alginate in my office because I’m a complete pig with it. I start mixing and dust starts going everywhere. They got it all. I have it above the floor. And no patient I think gets up in the morning and says, “I’m going to the dentist today. Yes. They’re going to put these impression trays full of gum in my mouth.” This is completely eliminated with this product. They simply mold the discs at home, put a small dot on each disc, snap it into place, and get lighter in nine treatments.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
I think that’s fantastic and I also think, sometimes some of these other systems, you lose momentum, right? They want it now and you can literally give it to them and they can go home and start using it. So thank you so much for sharing some of the details of the Philip Sonicare teeth whitening kits and thank you for joining me today. I am very happy to spend some time with you and get to learn some new technology.
Dr. John Flucke:
Pam, it’s always great talking to you. It is even better when we discuss such matters. Thank you for having me.
Dr. Pam Maragliano-Muniz:
Oh my God. Thanks. The pleasure is mine. Okay, everyone. To Chairside Connection, thank you for joining us and we’ll see you next month.
