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November 21, 2008

Eating implements, such as a fork or spoon, require finger manipulation that is taught to youngsters early on in life. Eventually, the finger foods such as crackers and dry cereals are supplemented with foods requiring utensils. For young children, the handles on the utensils are shorter, may be curvy, and often are designed to fit comfortably into tiny hands.

Different cultures use different types of cutlery for eating. Chopsticks, for example, require the thumb and fingers to be held together when picking up food portions. As with pediatric forks and spoons, there are child-sized chopsticks as well. Preparation methods for rice, soybeans, or noodles allow for less water so that the food ends up in sticky clumps — easier for the chopsticks to grasp.

Orthodontic brackets and bands are a challenge for many patients. When these patients are asked about their home-care routines, a common concern is working around those fixed wires. Patients state they have difficulty getting an adequate angle to scrupulously clean around the bonded brackets and wires. Consequently, working with any type of floss poses a maneuvering challenge. PDT Dental offers a new solution for orthodontic care. The Platypus orthodontic flossing device answers the sticky situation of a mouth filled with hardware. One end has pre-strung floss directed at an angle desirable for fitting underneath fixed wires, and the handle end has a small, pick type brush.

Similarly, clinicians encounter tricky circumstances chairside and consider implementing devices and products that are designed for "sticky situations."

One chairside situation is safe re-sheathing procedures after an injection. No clinician wants to inadvertently be stuck by a needle. Numerous products answer the need for safe recapping. One example are needle sheaths that is simple to use and economical. These recappers are single-use, disposable, and work with most standard needles. Certol Company produces the ProTector prop. The prop works by slipping the cap of the needle through a credit card sized rectangle, which has aligning grooves. One hand returns the used needle to the card, which is used as a prop for resting the syringe. The prop is designed to hold the cap securely in a ready position and to avoid an accidental needlestick.

Another single-use safety device comes from Unimed-Midwest Dental. The Point-Lok device has a gripper base resembling a rubber type stopper that holds the needle securely upright. The collar slides back onto the needle to lock into position and is all tossed into the sharps container after injection.

Other needle-grasping devices are, by design, steam sterilizable and reused. The Aim Safe recapping device by Septodont guards against needle injuries and holds the needle cap for one-handed recapping, so the clinician does not need to place the cap on the used needle.

One-handed operation is ideal for needle recapping. Zirc Co. offers its Needle Capper that has an adhesive base to securely hold the device. Ingenious Technologies' NeedleSafe II has a universal fit, so all types of needles work with this easy-to-use puncture-proof device. The Ultima Needle Recapper from Practicon clamps, uncaps, and holds the needle with spring type loading operation. Disposal requires the user to simply unscrew the sheath and needle from the recapper as it is secured into the unit and then inverted. With a press of the button, the needle is disengaged and falls into the awaiting sharps container. This unit is stainless steel and sturdy.

Another stainless steel protector is the Jenker Anti Needle-Stick Device offered by Dentsply Professional. With a funnel type of base, the needle is firmly held and recapped in the receptacle. A similar design is the Captor Deluxe Needle Handler (Practicon). This syringe dock is also spring-loaded and rests securely upon a bracket table.

Safety syringe needles help avoid the risk of inadvertent needle injury and are designed for one-handed procedures. With safety syringes, the entire needle and guard go directly into the sharps disposal and easily are assembled on the syringe hub. The Ultra Safety Plus XL by Septodont has a cover that slides over the needle while engaged on the syringe and is available for a variety of gauged needles. MedPro's Safe-Mate offers a needle system that has its own protective sheath, and color-coded hubs indicate size and gauge. The engineered sharps protector is clear plastic, allowing the self-contained needle to be easily seen. The Safe-Mate has a release button, and then the cover slides over the needle as one exits the injection site. These needles follow federal guidelines for needlestick safety.

The safe handling of biohazard materials chairside avoids sticky situations for the clinician when it comes to hazardous disposal. When infectious waste is produced chairside, having a small peel-and-stick waste bag ready for refuse is handy. Unimed-Midwest produces these smaller red bio bags with a sticky adhesive strip, which works by removing the protective paper and exposing the strip, allowing the bag to be placed chairside on the bracket table, directly on an operatory wall, or under a cabinet for easy access. Placing soiled gauze or saliva absorbents into the bag keeps the contaminants in check. In addition, the bags are heavy gauge and are easily removed when full. They are sealed with the adhesive strip (leaving no residue upon removal) and can be tossed into a larger red bag hamper.

Wiping bloody debris from a used instrument on a 2x2 gauze held in the fingers might result in an accidental prick. To avoid this sticky situation, AllPro Dental has available the single-use All-Wipe instrument cleaner. The All-Wipe is a disposable, grooved foam wipe. Its adhesive backing is perfect for placing on a gloved hand, instrument tray, or patient bib. An instrument's dirty edge moves through the absorbent foam grooves to remove debris. The clinician may opt to place desensitizing topical, or drops of mouthrinses, or chlorhexidine onto the wipe to further clean the instrument with each swipe.

For sticky situations, choose devices and products that provide protection and efficiency. Orthodontic hardware does not have to be tricky during the removal of plaque when using flossers designed for the specific task. Safety devices designed for one-handed use, like manipulating chopsticks, work with a single fluid and seamless motion.

The author did not receive compensation for products mentioned. For more "sticky" information, visit www.pdtdental.com, www.certol.com, www.unimed-midwest.com, www.septodontusa.com, www.zirc.com, www.ingenious.com, www.dentsplyprofessional.com, and www.allprodental.com.

About the Author

Karen Kaiser, RDH, graduated from St. Louis' Forest Park dental hygiene program in 1994 and currently practices at the Center for Contemporary Dentistry in Columbia, Ill. She has written several articles for RDH and other publications, sits on dental hygiene panels, and is an evaluator for Clinical Research Associates. She can be contacted at hygienetouch@yahoo.com.

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