Introduction
Helping patients achieve a beautiful and graceful smile is one of the many goals that dental professionals strive for. Right from the color to the overall look; each patient deserves to feel confident when they smile.
Teeth whitening is a process that is designed to lighten the color of the teeth. It is a procedure that doesn’t harm the teeth or gums if done correctly. However, since people’s gum and teeth health vary, the results cannot be guaranteed.
Since teeth whitening is a medical procedure, it cannot be performed without proper consent for the dental treatment. Hence, dentists need to get a Whitening Consent Form signed by the patient to ensure that the patient is on board with everything related to the procedure.
Let’s learn what elements this form contains and how you can digitize it to streamline workflows.
What is a Whitening Consent Form?
A Whitening Consent Form is a legal document that records the informed consent of the patient before undergoing a teeth whitening procedure. The form has to be filled by the patient and only after their written consent, the dentist can move forward with the procedure.
The form contains information regarding the teeth whitening procedure, the risks and complications involved, and the potential outcomes of the treatment. The form establishes that:
The patient has the right to ask questions about the treatment
- They agree to the treatment and outcomes listed in the form
- They are aware of the potential risks and side effects of the treatment
- They authorize the dentist to perform the teeth whitening procedure
A Whitening Consent Form is important because of the two most important reasons mentioned below:
- It gathers the informed consent of the patient. It means that the patient acknowledges everything that is mentioned in the form.
- Since everything is documented in the form, it saves you from any legal troubles in the future.
Why should you digitize a Whitening Consent Form?
When you compare a digitized Whitening Consent Form with its paper counterpart, there are several advantages that an electronic form has to offer:
- You can access the form easily from anywhere; all you need is an active internet connection.
- Since the form is digitized, the patients can easily fill out the form on their devices at their convenience. They dont need to visit the clinic physically just to give their consent.
- The form can be stored securely with encryption and access controls, thereby maintaining HIPAA-compliance.
- If you need to share or retrieve the form urgently, you don’t need to scour stacks of paper forms on your desk, you can simply find the form on your system.
- The digitization of the form eliminates the entire process of downloading, printing, scanning and uploading the form. You can simply send the form to the patient electronically and they can sign it and send it back to you.
- The electronic Whitening Consent Form can be easily integrated with your EHR/dental software.
How to digitize the Whitening Consent Form? Best practices to follow
- Send the form to the patient as a link in a text message. Doing so will make the form easily accessible to the patient. Make sure to send a secure text message while sharing the form.
- Ask the patient to read the form carefully before uploading their digital signatures.
- Make sure to send text reminders and follow up messages to the patient so that they fill out the form in due time. Checkout some form reminder templates here: https://emitrr.com/blog/appointment-reminder-templates/
- Integrate the form with your dental software to keep a record.
- Make sure to set up data security measures in place to protect patient confidentiality and comply with HIPAA standards.
How can you digitize the Whitening Consent Form with Emitrr?
Here’s how Emitrr can help you digitize the Whitening Consent Form:
- You can download the form available here and customize it as per your requirements.
- Alternatively, if you already have a Whitening Consent Form, you can send it to us and we’ll digitize it for free.
- Sign up with Emitrr’s texting services and send automated text reminders and follow up messages to ensure that your patients fill the form timely.
- Emitrr integrates with a host of dental software, which can help you big time. Check if Emitrr integrates with yours here: https://emitrr.com/integrations/
- Since form sharing and data collection will be done securely through Emitrr, you need not worry about any compliance issues.
As a dental practitioner or a front desk manager, it is important to understand that the time for paper forms has gone. You need to switch to digital forms if you want to run operations seamlessly and ensure improved patient experience and satisfaction. Reach out to us and get your forms digitized now!