Case Study #3
Pre-treatment
Post-treatment
Patient needs teeth whitening, but has dark orange stains
The patient was first educated on tooth whitening and informed that it was likely that these stains would lighten some but would still be visible. An extended procedure was designed for this case, including 3 sessions of 15 minutes each using the In-Office BlanQuest® Pro Whitening Kit and an extra session of 8 minutes focused on the remaining darker areas. When treated, despite a significant amount of whitening, the dark orange stains on the central incisors were still quite prominent and was recommended extended whitening using the BlanQuest® Home take-home whitening trays or restorative correction with composites or porcelain veneers.
Poor and Complex Whitening Candidates
Candidates with multiple anterior restorations or erosion are poor or complex candidates for tooth whitening. Often when the patient wants whiter teeth, it is obvious that the desired results are not possible because of yellowing composites or a porcelain crown that will not whiten. Sometimes patients will ask to replace the dental work and then whiten the teeth to match. This is ill-advised because the teeth will whiten but there is no guarantee that they will match the color of the new restorations. Teeth whitening just does not have that exact degree of control over a final outcome. It can also be difficult to whiten prior to the restorative work because of patient noncompliance. To obtain a good shade match, the patient must whiten for the prescribed period of time and then wait for a minimum of two weeks before the restorations are completed. If patients vary from these instructions, it can become a game of chasing the shade. In-office whitening with the BlanQuest® Pro is one of the best ways to control the procedures in these situations for predictable results. The clinical situations described above are illustrated in the cases below.