£75 reduction in the cost of Britesmile Whitening

Oracare_Dental

Insert By Martin:  The poster quite rightly asked my permission and put this post on the referrers board.  I've moved it to the health board, as having read the discussion - i thought it had progressed beyond the original plug and into a good health/money discussion on teeth whitening.  Of course doing this is not a 'recommendation' for the service, just a 'recommendation' for the quality of the discussion.  (and ps. this does not set a precedent apart from the one that says only i can break the rules  ;) )


Oracare Dental (https://www.oracaredental.co.uk) is a new three surgery dental practice in Kensington High Street.

Oracare offer the market leading tooth whitening system (Britesmile) at the practice for £495.  
We are pleased to offer a further reduction of £75 for users of this site i.e. £420.

All patients who are interested in having this treatment will need to attend the practice for an initial free whitening consultation to determine their suitability and to take a medical history etc.

If you require further information please register online and one of our administration staff will get back to you.  Alternatively you may call the practice on 020 7603 7222 qouting reference mse75.  The practice will be open to take bookings from 19th July 2004.

This promotion has been approved for inclusion in the referrers board by Martin Lewis[url][/url]

Angela

Would I need to register with you as a patient for you to provide this treatment.

Oracare_Dental

Hi Angela

No if you only wanted to have Britesmile that is fine.

johnllew

Does not £495 - £75 = £420 rather than £425?

Oracare_Dental

Thanks for the correction

Angela

SUMMARY
A review of the legislation currently in force confirms that the supply of tooth whitening products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide present or released is an illegal act rendering the supplier vulnerable to prosecution. Practitioners considering the supply and use of such materials thus need to be acutely aware of this issue.

It is understood that the medical defence organisations, and the British Dental Association, are in ongoing discussions with the Departments of Trade and Industry and Health who are, in turn, liaising with their European counterparts with a view to bringing about legislative change. It is to be hoped that such change is imminent, given the very unsatisfactory current legal position facing a practitioner who is seeking only to act in the best interests of his patients.


Does britesmile confirm to the above taken from the BDA website?

Oracare_Dental

Tooth Whitening - UK

There is currently continued confusion relating to the legal position of dentists using tooth whitening techniques which involve the use of bleach.

The legal situation arises as a result of action taken against the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health by a manufacturer and distributor of a bleaching product which contained Carbamide Peroxide. Whilst successful in their initial case against the Government Departments, the Judgement was subsequently overturned on Appeal and the Appeal Court decision, in turn, upheld by the House of Lords in 2001. Whether a product falls within the terms of the European Council Directive on Cosmetic Products 76/768/EEC is determined by its use. The decision in the House of Lords was taken notwithstanding that the product in question carried with it a CE Mark in Europe which would normally allow such products to be marketed as medical devices. The House of Lords held that the Government had the right to consider bleaching products as falling under the EU Cosmetic Directive and therefore within the terms of the UK Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996.


This produces a particular dilemma for practitioners who may be concerned that patients are being denied a treatment that is both safe and effective.  There appears to be considerable scientific backing for the use of these techniques particularly when compared with the destruction of healthy tooth structure which is necessary with alternative techniques.

Dental Protection advises that notwithstanding the current legal situation which suggests that the supply of these products is illegal, dentists should take into account what is in the best interests of their patients. When a decision is made to use any bleaching technique, it should be fully discussed with the patient. The patient should be aware of the risks and benefits, balancing the question mark over the legality of supply of these products with the risks to the patient of the removal of healthy tooth structure if alternative treatments are used. Comprehensive clinical records should be taken of the consent process.

Dental Protection is continuing to lobby the Department of Health and others to ensure that dentists are not challenged in relation to the use of techniques that would appear to have a sound, scientific basis and where the decisions to employ those techniques are taken in the interests of their patients.

Britesmile does indeed include Hydrogen Peroxide but it's use by practitioners is classed as a medical procedure since the alternative if a patient is concerned about the colour of their teeth would involve removal of sound tooth tissue.

Oracare_Dental

Oracare Dental (https://www.oracaredental.co.uk) is a new three surgery dental practice in Kensington High Street.

Oracare offer the market leading tooth whitening system (Britesmile) at the practice for £495.  
We are pleased to offer a further reduction of £75 for users of this site i.e. £420.

All patients who are interested in having this treatment will need to attend the practice for an initial free whitening consultation to determine their suitability and to take a medical history etc.

If you require further information please register online and one of our administration staff will get back to you.  Alternatively you may call the practice on 020 7603 7222 qouting reference mse75.  The practice will be open to take bookings from 19th July 2004.

This promotion has been approved for inclusion in the referrers board by Martin Lewis[url][/url]

johnllew

The patient should be aware of the risks

What are the risks?

Oracare_Dental

Approximately 10% of patients will experience discomfort of some type, including mild sudden sharp pains or a dull to moderate ache. This is self limiting and lasts less than 24hrs. The sensitivity arises if the whitening gel comes into contact with exposed dentine.
To reduce this sensitivity it is important to ensure that any areas of exposed dentine are covered during the procedure.

It is also possible during the procedure that if the soft tissues (gums) are not protected you can get mild irritation. Again this is self limiting and should not occur if the correct procedure of protecting the soft tissues has been followed.

It is important to ensure that the patient is suitable for whitening and does not have any of the following before whitening is carried out to limit any sensitivity

1. Carious lesions
2. Broken or lost restorations
3 Periodontal disease
4. Extensive calculus

System

Heya folks,

Was quite surprised to see Oracare canvassing for business here! I am a dentist, and just thought I would add my 2 cents..

If I were to bleach my teeth, I would not go for one of the 'in-surgery' systems such as Britesmile. Why? Because...

1) Post-op sensitivity is far higher than 10%, although it does subside over the subsequent weeks.

2) In-surgery systems often have dramatic effects for many people (not every one is suitable for bleaching - eg. those with a greyish natural hue will often respond less), but as with all bleaching, the colour does relapse back over the following months. This relapse occurs far more quickly with power bleaching.

3) Many practices using power bleaching such as britesmile often give a 'home bleaching' system to use afterwards, which can help to stabilise the colour for longer. If you are going to do this anyway, then why not JUST use a home system. You will get a similar colour although it takes longer to achieve (2-4weeks), but you are in better control of the degree of bleaching done. It is cheaper. It provokes less symptoms, and the colour stability is better. Best of all, when you feel the colour has dropped back, or are going to that special event (wedding etc) you can top it up for a few days to brighten your smile again. The extra materials are easy to buy from many dental practices.... Try getting your dentist to do a free britesmile to top up your smile for free!!

Hope this helps..

Vik