Philips Oral Healthcare's new Zoom! QuickPro is an innovative system for professional teeth whitening that does away with the need for whitening trays altogether and takes less than 10 minutes in the chair to apply.
The result is around a 4-shade "kicker" at the end of an appointment that leaves the patient with a whiter smile. QuickPro is an easy way for patients to be introduced to whitening or it can be a top-up for patients who have had previous whitening treatments.
"The brief to our scientists was simple," explains Dr Marilyn Ward, Director of Clinical Dental Scientific Affairs at Philips and a practising dentist in Texas, "We wanted a professional strength whitening product that didn't use a tray.
"In a nutshell, Zoom! QuickPro is a 2-layer varnish system. A layer containing the whitening agent is applied first followed by a second layer to seal and protect it. The patient can then leave the practice with the treatment in progress and the varnish simply peels off around 30 minutes later."
In an industry driven by the continual release of new and updated products, Philips Oral Healthcare is the quintessential quiet achiever. New products are often a long time coming, but when the company does launch something new, take note.
Philips Sonicare AirFloss is a case in point. Now described by periodontists as an "important consumer device for gum health improvement", it has taken the world by storm, bringing the benefits of interproximal cleaning to the common man in a way in which flossing simply cannot compete.
Zoom!, Philips Oral Healthcare's sister brand to Sonicare, last released a new product back in 2012. At that time, the flagship Zoom! whitening lamp, acquired with the takeover of Discus Dental in 2010, received a heavy dose of Philips lighting technology to remove all UV radiation, resulting in the release of Philips Zoom! Whitespeed.
Zoom! QuickPro, the first new whitening product from Philips in three years, is designed to sit between the Zoom! Whitespeed in-chair whitening treatment - no trays but an hour in the chair - and the DayWhite and NiteWhite take-home systems that require custom trays to be made.
Targeted development
According to Dr Ward, Philips embarked on the development of Zoom! QuickPro from the perspective of dentists who want whitening options in addition to trays.
"Zoom! QuickPro was developed by our chemists in Cambridge in the UK," Dr Ward said. "We knew the product had to be hydrogen peroxide based because there has already been extensive research on alternate oxides and none whiten as effectively. And we knew that to circumvent the need for trays, the product had to be resistant to saliva.
"Our scientists began development with that concept in mind. We tested several iterations of the product at our research facility in Bothell, near Seattle in Washington State. We conducted regulated pilot studies on groups of 10-20 patients to test efficacy on 6 or more different versions.
"Once we arrived at the product we've now launched as QuickPro, we commissioned an 88-patient clinical trial as final confirmation."
Unique packaging
Dr Ward explained that the breakthrough chemistry of QuickPro presented an interesting packaging challenge.
"With all our whitening products, we look to offer customers at least an 18-month shelf life without refrigeration and from a practical perspective; we need the product to be easily shipped globally.
"We want to guarantee the best quality of our products and our unique packaging in glass vials helps us achieve that.
"We also developed the procedure kit to include the two-component varnish plus a retractor, Vitamin E cream for the lips and gingival mask.
"This provides practitioners with everything they need to treat a patient."
Indications and application
Philips Zoom! QuickPro is being positioned as an ideal product for application immediately following a routine cleaning procedure, particularly on patients who are yet to experience teeth whitening.
"QuickPro is designed to fit the gap between in-chair whitening and take home whitening using custom made trays," Dr Ward said. "It's perfect for a dentist or dental hygienist to apply at the end of a maintenance appointment because it's very quick to apply, inexpensive and requires no compliance from the patient.
"From the practitioners perspective, applying the liquid dam is the most time consuming part of the procedure. Once you become proficient at that, the whole procedure can take as little as five minutes.
"With the dam in place, the first layer of the varnish containing 20% hydrogen peroxide is applied. It dries in 30-60 seconds, which increases the effective strength to around 24%. The second layer seals the hydrogen peroxide in place. The dam is then removed and the patient can leave the practice. Around 30 minutes later, the varnish peels off.
"The result is equivalent to a patient wearing a custom tray filled with 20% hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes, which, in effect, is about a 4-shade improvement."
A long history in medical research
Dr Ward, a veteran of Philips' merger with Discus Dental where she headed global education and training, still practises in Texas. As Philips' Director of Clinical Dental Scientific Affairs, she spends most of her time in Bothell and travelling as her role includes overseeing all clinical research globally at both universities and private institutes.
"Philips has a long history in medical product development and as a company, our dental products undergo the same testing regime as a new MRI for example. Philips has the resources available for ensuring the efficacy of a product pre-launch," she said.
"When I came in, there was already 15 years of research behind Sonicare. Before we launched Zoom Whitespeed, for example, we undertook a 150-patient clinical trial at Loma Linda University in California.
"The costs of these types of initiatives was often prohibitive for Discus Dental but viewed by Philips as essential before any new product is brought to market."
Future development
Dr Ward explained that future development of Zoom! QuickPro is ongoing and relies on both technical and scientific evolution as well as ensuring patents for competitive products are not infringed.
"QuickPro has been well received but of-course Philips always carefully considers any consumer feedback to continually improve the technology.
"When we do release a new version, dental practitioners can be assured that it will both work effectively and be 100% safe for patients."
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Tuesday, 26 November, 2024