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cOsmETic sEcTiOn

Fig 10: Good clinical digital
communication with the patient
contributes to better patient
satisfaction with the procedure.

information, and the bleached index is easy to remember, show off their newly achieved tooth shade and often receive a great deal of
and if necessary, compare values before and after the praise for it.
procedure, particularly if it is an at-home whitening that It is all about new, modern digital era and Generation Z!
can take two to three weeks. A drop in the value of the
bleached index for the patient means the desired change References
in shade, and for the dentist, proof of the success of the 1. Simsek H, Buyuk SK, Cetinkaya E, Tural M, KoseogluMS.”How I whiten
procedure after a properly set indication. Implementing the my teeth”:YouTube as a patient information resource for teeth whitening.
described process, helps to avoid a lack of understanding of BMC Oral Health. 2020;1;20:183.
the procedure and unrealistic expectations. The inclusion 2. Paravina RD, JohnstonWM, PowersJM. New shade guide for evaluation of
of the mobile application in the whitening process and tooth whitening - colorimetric study. J EsthetRestor Dent. 2007;19:276-83.
digital transmission of information to the patient is also a 3. ParavinaRD. New shade guide for tooth whitening monitoring: visual
great advance in patient-dentist communication because assessment. J Prosthet Dent. 2008;99:178-84.
they strengthen mutual trust, simplify communication 4. Joiner A, Luo W. Tooth colour and whiteness:A review. J Dent.
and contribute to the success of the procedure and patient 2017;67S:S3-S10.
satisfaction (Figures 9 and 10). 5. Knezović Zlatarić D, Žagar M, Illeš D. A clinical study assessing the
However, it should be noted that the computer simulation short-term efficacy of combined in-office/at-home whitening treatment. J
shows the patient the future tooth shade that needs to be EsthetRestor Dent. 2019;31:140-146.
achieved, which means that we do not overcommit and The user report is based on the publication in the Dental Tribune Croatia
take care to set the indication correctly and choose the Magazine.
whitening technique, material and most importantly, the
duration of the procedure to the desired results. It is also
important to mention to the patient that this isa simulation ABOUT THE AUTHOR
and that the real result will be measured in the end, so that Dubravka Knezović Zlatarić is Professor of
there are no false promises. A bleached index of 1 israrely Prosthodontics in the Department of Removable
obtained through the whitening process. Prosthodontics and Head of Elective Lectures at the
As pointed out at the beginning of this article, most of School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb,
our candidates for whitening are relatively young people Croatia, where she gained her clinical certificate in
who are, very skilled in digital forms of communication, Prosthodontics and completed PhD. As a member of
which can contribute to their involvement in the process. European Prosthetic Association she was awarded
Our patients like to be well informed, and any progress three times - for the best presented scientific study
in the whitening process (in the form of a decrease in the poster presentation and for the young investigators in the fields of
value of the bleached index) is motivating for them and for Prosthodontics. In 2007, she was the winner of the second place for
outstanding poster presentation at the meeting of the International
proper oral hygiene, and strengthens their confidence in College of Prosthodontists in Fukuoka, Japan. Professor Zlatarić
the dental procedure and dentists. has been the principle investigator and project manager of several
The photos we send to the patient from the mobile scientific projects financed by Ministry of science and University of
application often end up on social media. Patients like to Zagreb, Croatia.

54 Dental Practice i July-August 2023 i Vol 19 No 4