November 2016 Dental Marketing

Dear Dentists,

Below is the stock dental marketing content for November 2016.  You can use this content for your blog and newsletter. Making a purchase from Life-Like Cosmetic Solutions this year grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use this content with your marketing efforts. Simply add your office name, a teeth whitening offer, and you’re ready to go. If you have a question, please do not hesitate to contact us, and Happy Marketing!

– The Life-Like Staff

Happy Thanksgiving from Acme Dentistry

With all the holidays coming up soon, there are sure to be plenty of photo opportunities with family and friends. Now is the perfect time to get those teeth whitened!  Here’s some interesting facts about teeth whitening to get you thinking in the right direction.

The History of Teeth Whitening

These days it feels like everyone is whitening their teeth in one way or another. As the American Association of Orthodontists found, nearly 90% of patients request tooth whitening.

So, where did the idea originate?

• The practice of teeth whitening began around 4,000 years ago with the ancient Egyptians. They created a whitening paste using ground pumice stone mixed in wine vinegar.
• Everyone wanted white teeth because they were a sign of beauty and wealth.
• Believe it or not ancient Romans whitened their teeth using urine. The ammonia in the urine served as the bleaching agent. Thank goodness we no longer use that technique!
• During the 17^th century, barbers took care of hair and teeth. The barber would file down the teeth and apply an acid to whiten them. The practice did make teeth whiter, but also eroded tooth enamel. This eventually led to decay.

Improvements to the Process

Using wine vinegar and urine to whiten teeth couldn’t go on forever (thankfully), so as time went on, people started to discover different ways to whiten teeth.

• In the 19^th century, those in the dental profession started to realize the restorative effects of hydrogen peroxide.
• In 1918, they found that using a heated lamp with hydrogen peroxide would lighten teeth.
• In the late 1960’s, a dentist found that using an overnight soak in carbamide peroxide with an orthodontic positioner for gum irritation made teeth significantly whiter.
• It wasn’t until 1989, that a thick peroxide was discovered to whiten teeth by a periodontist named Dr. James Monroe.
• Dentists began to offer tray whitening services. Tooth bleaching trays are custom made to fit the exact mold of the patient’s teeth.  The combination of thickened peroxide gel with a custom tray keeps the gel in contact with the teeth long enough to penetrate the enamel before saliva dilutes the active ingredient.

Teeth Whitening Statistics Today

The numbers regarding the teeth whitening industry say it all. People are investing a lot in their smiles.

• $11,000,000,000 is spent on the teeth whitening industry annually.
• In office teeth whitening procedures cost an average of $600.
• 82.5% of patients saw a noticeable difference from in-office teeth whitening procedure.
• 74% of people believe an unattractive smile can hurt their chances for career success.

As you can see, we’ve come a long way in the teeth whitening industry. Once people see the difference whiter teeth can make, they often continue the process.

If you want more information on teeth whitening, call our office today. We can get you started so you have the brightest smile in all of those family photos this holiday season.