However, Dr. Capehart developed a special treatment plan for a patient who was embarrassed by his tetracycline-stained smile, but who could not afford such costly treatment. He developed a personalized treatment plan for the patient, which allowed him to significantly alter the shade of his patient's teeth, without the costly procedures.
Dr. Capehart's new tooth whitening treatment protocol involves placing the patient on a prescription dose of fluoride toothpaste for two weeks in order to minimize tooth sensitivity from the whitening solutions. Then, the patient comes in for a one-hour tooth whitening session, where the enamel is painted with the whitening solution and "cured" under a UV light. Then, for every night for three weeks, the patient uses customized trays that deliver the whitening solution to the teeth. During this time period, the patient maintained a meticulous home oral hygiene care and took potassium nitrate, which also decreases sensitivity after bleaching. Then, after the three week time period, the patient uses the trays for another three weeks.
"The results significantly boosted my patient's self-esteem and he was thoroughly pleased with the results," says Dr. Capehart. He now comes back every six months for a regular cleaning and then uses the whitening trays once a year to maintain their new color. "Although tetracycline is no longer widely prescribed today, parents need to be aware that other drugs can stain their children's teeth, such as chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline and minocycline."
Dr. Capehart will be one of more than 70 clinicians who will present the latest developments in oral health and technology at the AGD's 54th Annual Meeting & Exposition, August
'"/>
Source:Academy of General Dentistry