The Icing on the Cake

The practice is an Enlighten-accredited professional teeth whitening centre, and recognising the benefits that this has brought to both the patients and the practice, Raymond decided to try the Enlighten whitening system for herself. From this perspective, dental professionals can gain insight into the patient journey, as Raymond candidly describes her teeth-whitening experience:

“Over the past 18 months I have had orthodontic treatment and I have found that it is amazingly easy to become obsessed with the appearance of your teeth. Don’t misunderstand me—I am absolutely thrilled to bits with the results, but having my teeth whitened will be the icing on the cake.

“The Enlighten whitening system involves both professional and home treatment. I have opted for a two-week whitening course, which includes an in-house treatment that is administered at the practice at the end.”

14 July
“At this first appointment, the hygienist therapist gave my teeth a thoroughly good clean. Impressions were then taken of my top and bottom arches so that the Enlighten laboratory can create high-quality, sealed whitening trays to administer the whitening treatment. I’m pleased to say that I found the impression material tasted quite nice!

“Jenny, the hygienist therapist, also explained treatment in detail, including timings and what I should expect before taking some photographs of my teeth. As well as being used for ‘before-and-after’ purposes, these images were used to show the starting shade (which was D2) and placed in my patient file.

Some people can experience sensitivity during the course of treatment, so I was also given a special toothpaste and asked to use this in place of my regular toothpaste. I started using this straightaway and continued for two weeks in preparation for the whitening treatment.”

27 July
“The whitening trays arrived as promised, so I went to see the hygiene therapist to discuss the treatment before I took the kit home. At this appointment, I tried in the whitening trays to make sure that they were comfortable and Jenny demonstrated how to use the two syringes of whitening gel included in the home pack. I was shown how to apply the gel correctly to my whitening trays, which all seemed fairly simple, and I noticed that the instructions were also written on each syringe so it is easy to see how much to use each day.

“I was then shown how to put the tray on my teeth, and how the gel spreads across the surface of each tooth. It’s important, Jenny said, to make sure you’re not too forceful, or the gel can squish out of the trays and onto your gums, which can lead to irritation.

“As I mentioned previously, I have been using a special toothpaste for the past two weeks but the kit also contains some sensitivity swabs just in case I experienced any extra sensitivity in a particular area. These can be used to target those areas and help alleviate any uncomfortable sensations.

“With all the help I had from Jenny and armed with my new whitening trays and syringes, I was confident about starting the whitening treatment at home. I even remembered to pop the two syringes straight in the fridge, as instructed—perfect!”

28 July: Treatment week 1
“Each evening I put the whitening trays in when I went to bed, slept with them in all night and took them out when I woke up. The first time I put the trays in, I was tempted to jiggle them about to check that they were correctly positioned. I would advise patients to avoid doing this, though, because it could compromise the evenness of the gel.

“There is also the risk of some gel going onto the back surface of the teeth and while having these whitened is no bad thing, I can’t imagine there is much opportunity to show them off!

“For the first few nights I worried a bit about the gel distributing evenly through the whitening trays, but the syringe has the amounts clearly marked out, so in fact I was worrying for nothing.

“During this first week, I used the starter syringe and didn’t feel too much in the way of discomfort. There was a slight sensation similar to pins and needles in my gums. However, this can be reduced if you make sure that any excess gel is wiped away straight after inserting the trays.

“By the end of Week 1, I could see a definite improvement. At this stage, it is worth telling patients that the colour can sometimes look slightly patchy, but it is nothing to worry about. It’s simply the surface of the tooth responding to the treatment, and it’s hardly even noticeable unless you’re looking for it.”

3 August: Treatment week 2
“This week I used the second syringe with the stronger of the two solutions. After about 5 minutes of inserting the whitening trays, I experienced a few sharp sensitivity pangs, but they only lasted for a few seconds. Later in bed, I felt the odd pang again, but it was only brief.

“I thought to myself that it showed that the system was working, and also, what are a couple of weeks in terms of having a brilliant white smile?

“During the final nights of the second week, I had two particular teeth that were causing quite a bit of sensitivity. I applied the sensitivity swabs from my kit to these areas, and it really helped. As with many procedures, it can difficult to say if or how much sensitivity patients are likely to feel, because every individual is different.

“I have now finished the second syringe. The only remaining part of my treatment is to schedule the in-house application back at the practice. That will be the cherry on the cake!”

10 August: Professional in-house treatment
“I attended an appointment with the hygiene therapist today so that she could finish my treatment with an in-house boost. This involves the use of a stronger whitening gel that must be kept at the surgery and can be administered only by a dental professional.

“I took my whitening trays with me and the gel was applied for 20 minutes. I waited for about 90 minutes and the process was repeated. This final treatment can take the teeth up several shades, and the therapist said that she could see a visible difference.

“After the final professional treatment, the finishing shade of my teeth is B1. I am delighted. I have gone up nine shades and I am now proudly flashing my pearly whites and taking lots of smiley selfies!”

For more information, visit www.enlightensmiles.com, email info@enlightensmiles.com or call the team.