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This blog is now located at http://whitepaper.beyonddent.com/.
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The Dental Advisor Reviews Beyond Max Kits

BEYOND Max Kits received a 4-plus rating based on an analysis to be presented in the May2010 issue of The Dental Advisor.

In a clinical assessment, the BEYOND Max Kits were evaluated by seven consultants in 35 whitening treatments. The kits received high marks for the ease of application and removal from the teeth. The ability to use the product with any light making it useable by any practice without an investment in new equipment was also noted in the review.

BEYOND Max kits are available in Max5 and Max10 configurations for as little as $20USD per patient!

The full review can be seen at http://www.dentaladvisor.com/beyond-max5

Check out the new Polus™ video!

Case Study #1

Patient Case Study #1: Moderate fluorosis resulting in "mottled" appearance post-treatment.

Treating Fluorosis Cases
Pre-treatment consultations are extremely important; especially when treating fluorosis cases. The examination will allow the dental professional an opportunity to check for possible fluoride spots and inform patients ahead of the treatment that the tooth enamel will not be entirely even in color immediately following the treatment.

Uninformed patients will be surprised by the mottled appearance of the enamel immediately following the treatment, and may be unhappy with the results. In less severe cases, mottling may be limited to one or two white spots. However in moderate to severe fluorosis cases, mottling can be more noticeable.

The white spots will become less noticeable within the 24-48 hour immediately following the treatment as the post-treatment color settles. Patients should be informed of this before the treatment.

Treatment schedules should be designed based on the severity of fluorosis. Mild to moderate discolorations can be treated during a single, in-office visit. (Vary 8-12 minute cycles depending on severity.) Severe cases should be treated with multiple, in-office visits (Week 1: Three cycles, 8-12 minutes each cycle; Week 2: Two to three cycles, 8-12 minutes each cycle.) Depending on severity, a pre-treatment acid etch of the enamel layer may also be necessary.


Causes of Fluorosis
The ingestion of excessive fluoride levels (higher than 1 ppm) in drinking water, or another medium, before the permanent teeth are fully formed can result in irregular calcification of the teeth formation of the enamel layer.

The higher the levels of fluoride intake, the more serious the individual case will be. Fluoride stains almost always occur balanced on the tooth arch, although this can vary between teeth.

Fluoride rarely affects deciduous teeth because it is not absorbed through the placenta. Premolar teeth, upper incisors, and second primary molars are the most easily affected. The next most likely to be affected are the canine teeth, first primary molars, and lower incisors, in that order.

The appearance of fluoride stains vary depending on which teeth are affected. In premolars and second primary molars, the stains are seen as white spots or stripes. In less severe cases, the discolorations may be yellow, brown, or black in color and accompanied by irregular enamel layer formations, resulting in uneven ridges on the enamel layer.

Clinical observations of teeth discolored by fluoride have produced important findings on the structural irregularities caused by fluoride. On the surface of fluoresced teeth, enamel fractures along the ends of the enamel columns are evident. The result of malcalcification, these damaged enamel cells fail to form a satisfactory enamel base.

Introducing BEYOND™ Blast™!

BEYOND™ Blast®!

All of the same, intense whitening power as our original 35% pre-treatment paste formula, with a bright new name. BEYOND™ Blast® material is included in all BEYOND™ II Complete Single Patient kits, and available packaged separately for use with any BEYOND™ II whitening Gel kit.

BEYOND™ Blast® jump-starts the whitening for outstanding results with the most difficult cases, including tetracycline, fluorosis, and age-related stains. Welcome to our product family!

Free Bleaching = Practice Growth

We heard about a dental clinic in the US that is offering life-long, free teeth whitening to patients who come in for check-ups twice a year. What a fantastic idea to consider for bringing in new patients, retaining old ones, and providing an incentive to come in for twice-annual health check-ups! With this business plan in place, everyone's a winner!

The original article can be found here, or read below.

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Other popular cosmetic dental treatments, including bonding, enamel shaping, and veneers, can be used to correct dramatic dental defects that cannot be satisfactorily addressed with whitening alone. But dentist supervised teeth whitening remains one of the safest, least invasive, and most effective options for creating the bright and sparkling smiles that will enhance the lifestyles of your patients—and can bring new sources of revenue into your practice.

Free Bleaching for Life

As a practice-builder, teeth whitening should be a no-brainer. Virtually every patient is a good candidate for some form of whitening technique. Whitening the teeth of your staff is a good initial way of showing how great a whiter smile can be—and a way of advertising the service to patients. Many new practices offer some complimentary whitening to attract patients, and established practices have used offers of free whitening to bring new patients through the door. One dentist, Dr. Jaimee Morgan of Salt Lake City, has expanded on this idea to offer free whitening to all her patients for as long as they are her patients. In effect, patients who visit Dr. Morgan for twice-a-year cleanings are eligible to receive free bleaching for life. Dr. Morgan recently opened a new practice, in the process closing 3 satellite practices and moving everything to the new location. “Although there had been satellite offices, this really was a new practice in a new area, so not all the existing patients came to the new office. Our first thought was that we would offer free whitening to bring in new people who might not know us. But it seemed like kind of a slam to our loyal patients that only the new people would be getting the free whitening. Offering it to everyone has brought us about 50% of our current patients—and has really helped in keeping our existing patients happy.”

Better than Advertising

Before offering the free bleaching, Dr. Morgan said that the practice advertised in all the usual ways: through a display ad in the phone book and by placing a lot of local advertising in newspapers and direct-mail shopper guides. She even advertised at the movies. “You know those ads, where you’re waiting for the movie and they throw the ad on the screen? We did one of those. It was very costly.” Yet with the exception of the yellow pages, none of this advertising had much noticeable effect. Offering the free bleaching has been a boon. “It’s worked out well for us because it provides us with fantastic word of mouth. Our patients help to bring in new patients. Your patients’ smiles look better, which makes your dentistry look better, and people want to know, hey, where do you go for that pretty smile? And for what we pay out in bleaching materials we get a great return—it’s better than any other form of advertising that we do.”

For the free bleaching program, Dr. Morgan offers an inoffice power bleaching session or 12 syringes of a 10% carbamide peroxide solution for take-home bleaching for each patient who wishes to participate. She says, “We want to make the program adaptable to what each individual wants, whether they want the power bleach or the take-home product. It’s just as easy either way for us and if it makes them happy, well, that’s better for us and for them.” For patients who want to maintain their white smiles, Dr. Morgan offers a bleaching maintenance program, for which she charges a fee. “We didn’t want to get into nickel and diming our patients by selling the product out of the office, but we did want to provide them with the product if they wanted it, so this seemed like a good compromise. We also provide the adaptable bleaching trays, and if they want a custom tray we are also happy to sell them those as well.”

Bleaching and Beyond

Dr. Morgan says she’s found that patients who have whiter smiles look for other ways to improve the way their teeth look. “Whitening tends to prompt the patient to think more cosmetically about their teeth. They’ll say, ‘wow, they’re so white, they look great! Now, let’s go and fix that little chip in that tooth or fill that space, or let’s get them straightened.’” Bleaching opens the door to may practice growth opportunities. It can help you retain the patients you already have and create word-of-mouth to attract new patients. And the positive results of bleaching can encourage patients to ask for other esthetic and restorative treatments to continue improving their smiles