For patients interested in teeth whitening, we’re delighted to announce that we now offer the Start Pure® Professional in-office teeth whitening system! In this interview, dental assistant Samantha Ruble describes the many benefits of this system.
What kinds of advantages does the Start Pure system provide for patients who would like whiter teeth?
There are several advantages to this system. It allows us to provide same-day whitening, with few to no sensitivity issues. Patients also spend less time in the dental chair. Our previous whitening process took about two hours, required three appointments, and patients would have to desensitize their teeth for a week before their whitening appointments. With Start Pure in-office whitening, the appointments take 40 minutes including instructions, preparation, and the actual whitening process. (For patients who want even whiter teeth, there is a booster that we can provide for 20 additional minutes.) Our previous whitening system also necessitated that we take alginate impressions of patients’ teeth before we could begin, but this system does not. It’s also not as expensive as other in-office whitening treatments.
How does the in-office whitening process work? Can you accomplish everything within a single appointment?
It works with a super violet LED light—hence the elimination of our taking impressions. With the light, patients and the dental assistant wear goggles to protect their eyes, and it’s all done in a single appointment. Our previous system required three appointments—one for impressions, one for delivery of desensitizing trays, and one for the actual whitening.
Has everyone on your team received training in using this new system?
Yes, the hygienists and the dental assistants have received the training.
You coordinated the training for your team. How did you arrange that?
I was at a continuing education course and during a break, I saw a company representative who had a display with information about the system. I’m always excited about these kinds of things! I asked the representative about the system, tried out the take-home pen, and really liked it. I realized that this new system could provide multiple benefits for patients, so back at the office, I discussed it with Dr. Gio. I coordinated the training, and our newly trained team members are eager to provide this service for patients!
You mentioned a take-home pen. Do you offer take-home Start Pure products for patients who would like to whiten their teeth at home?
Yes, with this system we can provide a professional whitening pen. It’s a day and night pen, which lasts between 30 and 40 uses. It’s recommended that patients finish the entire pen once they begin, but they do have the option to stop using it once their teeth reach the desired level of whiteness. The take-home pen uses a microbrush and gel (no light). Patients pat their teeth dry with a tissue, paint on the gel, and wait two minutes—that’s it! It can be done anywhere, and there’s no bad taste.
How have patients reacted to the new in-office system?
We’ve already treated several patients. They were excited and could tell a difference right away! They were also happy about having no sensitivity issues. Some of our team members have also undergone whitening treatments with this system, and they’ve been quite pleased!
Are there any other benefits to this system?
Sometimes people develop tetracycline stains on their teeth resulting from certain antibiotics. These kinds of stains generally don’t improve with traditional whitening procedures, but the Start Pure process provides some measure of improvement for tetracycline stains on teeth.