Professional Teeth Whitening: "It is important for us to offer a safe product" - Interview with Dr. Peter Getz

The treatment concept of the "Zahnärzte am Nordufer (ZANH)" neighborhood dental practice in the Berlin district of Wedding is shaped by preventive dentistry and natural esthetics. Professional whitening also plays a major role here. In line with the practice philosophy "Esthetics is not everything, but it is important," Dr. Peter

Getz and his dentist colleague Karin Joschko therefore searched for professional whitening products that are right for the practice and the patients.

Many patients who come to our practice want to have whiter teeth and address this head on. It is important for us to offer them a safe product that has the desired whitening effect. So we spent a long time on professional whitening and tested many different products from various manufacturers. Only Opalescence™ products from Ultradent are used today in our practice for teeth whitening.

We mainly use Opalescence™ PF with 16% carbamide peroxide (15% available in Canada) and Opalescence Go™ 6% H2O2 (10% available in Canada) for cosmetic teeth whitening, and Opalescence™ Boost™ (40% H2O2) for medical indications. For each patient type and all the individual conditions they bring with them, we can offer the right kind of whitening with the Opalescence system. The cosmetic home whitening products— Opalescence PF and Opalescence Go —allow our patients to gently whiten their teeth. Opalescence PF requires a custom-made splint into which the sticky, viscous gel is introduced—ideal for regular users. We usually

recommend Opalescence Go for patients who want to whiten their teeth for the first time. The pre-filled trays are easy to insert and super comfortable with a wearing time of 30 to 60 minutes per application.

Around 70 percent of our new patients say they are unhappy with their tooth shade. This patient group presents a huge economic potential that can never be exploited with crowns and veneers. It is important to create awareness of the real potential of an esthetic outcome and how to achieve it. Our overriding long-term goal is satisfied patients. We can use targeted marketing activities to draw their attention to our whitening treatments, or to our practice in the first place.

We have two ways for effectively reaching patients: Through social media on their phones with Instagram and Facebook, and in person in the practice. So we work with posts, stories, flyers, and panel displays. But we also have a glass-fronted fridge in the reception area to showcase our whitening products. You have to generate awareness. Many relevant questions come up before entering the treatment room, but also during prophylaxis, at initial consultations and while discussing dental restorations. Anyone on the team can be "confronted" with these questions. That's why it's so important to keep all team members up to date with the relevant knowledge about whitening.

A resounding yes! By using specific activities, our patients are not only aware that we offer professional teeth whitening, they even come to us with just this in mind. And that's not only good for them. This means that our practitioners don't have to "sell" anything and can devote their full attention to patients and their consultation.