Talking Teeth Whitening with Patients
Tooth whitening remains the UK’s most popular cosmetic dental treatment. According to a recent global report, the teeth whitening market is expected to grow by over 45% in revenue between 2020 and 2026.
This rise in demand has resulted in some consumers risking their health and buying unsafe home whitening kits online in the quest for instant results.
Talking to patients about teeth whitening and explaining their options can help to steer them in the direction of safe and effective whitening solutions, and also provides an opportunity to increase your practice revenue.
If you’re looking to offer more whitening treatments in your practice, here’s what we would suggest:
Gauge interest
Gain a better understanding of patient interest in teeth whitening. This can be done in a subtle way by including it in a questionnaire that patients fill out in the waiting area prior to their appointment.
If clinically appropriate, discuss whitening with patients during routine appointments to see if it’s something they are interested in. Look for openings in conversation to bring it up, such as if the patient mentions an important social event coming up, or wants to talk about restoratives or aligners.
Increase awareness
Use email marketing, text messages and social media to reach as many of your current patients as possible. Promote your whitening services online to potential local customers using the right hashtags, location tagging and paid advertising.
Make whitening sound exciting and visually show what’s possible with “before and after” photos of whitening procedures your practice has completed (if available and consented to).
Make treatment convenient
Many patients want to be able to whiten their teeth from home with fast results, so it’s important the whitening products you offer accommodate this.
Premium quality whitening gels, such as Big White Smile, provide patients with a choice of solutions that can be used at home in a way that’s convenient for the patient. Results are visible within days.
Use manufacturer marketing tools
Some manufacturers can provide marketing tools to help dentists more easily promote teeth whitening.
For example, Big White Smile comes with free patient leaflets and posters to use in your practice if desired.
Be transparent
Ensure your patient is aware of the nature of tooth whitening: that results cannot be guaranteed and will vary from patient to patient.
Present them with a full picture of potential treatments by putting together a whitening menu with clear pricing that can be used in both the treatment room and communal areas.
Incentivise staff
Ensure you’ve got your whole team on board by ensuring that every staff member knows which whitening treatments your practice offers. Encourage all team members to promote whitening products to patients when appropriate.
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