Turbo-CR: The desiccant that is transforming dental hygiene practice
As a hygienist, how does a stubborn calculus deposit make you feel? The type that, despite our greatest instrumentation efforts, will not release? Or how about a patient with refractory periodontitis? The kind that you struggle to maintain but may need to consider what altering the biofilm could do for their oral health?
The good news for clinicians is that evidence-based products, such as desiccation therapy, are becoming more prevalent solutions to these sorts of problems.1 Turbo-CR, a new desiccant from Essential Dental Systems, is a product that I can confidently say will change the way we practice as dental hygienists. With the ability to reduce the hardness of calculus and alter subgingival biofilms through antibacterial properties, this product should be in every dental hygienist's toolkit.
Understanding desiccants
By definition, desiccants are materials that absorb moisture and humidity from the environment and are able to attract and hold gases or liquids.2 The consistency of the oral microbiome is made up of bacterial microorganisms in a matrix of 70% water and 10%-30% extracellular substances.3 We know that in order for nonsurgical periodontal therapy to be truly successful, the biofilms that contain the smear layer of endotoxins, bacteria, and contaminated cementum need to be completely removed.3
How Turbo-CR can be a game-changer
The acidic component of Turbo-CR is unique in that it is able to bind to water in the biofilm matrix and quickly detach, destroy, and get rid of the subgingival biofilms in the smear layer, all while avoiding any additional sensitivity to the patient.3,4 Turbo-CR also possesses surfactants, which are molecules that assemble on the surface of calculus and aid in reducing the hardness by 48%.4
Clinicians will love this product because it reduces the amount of time spent scaling, flows seamlessly into subgingival areas, can be used on all patient case types, and is safe on implants and restorative materials. Patients will also benefit by experiencing no soft tissue irritation, an effective reaction window of 30 seconds to one minute, and a significant reduction in calculus hardness. With thoughtful mechanisms of action, this product is a breakthrough in prioritizing clinician ergonomics and patient oral health outcomes. I am confident that Turbo-CR will be transformational within the operatory.
References
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Pardo A, Fiorini V, Zangani A, et al. Topical agents in biofilm disaggregation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Med. 2024;13(8):2179. doi:10.3390/jcm13082179.
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Desiccant. Science Direct. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/desiccant
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Khalil B, Sulaiman AA, Hajjar BA. The effects of adjunctive use of a desiccant agent in the treatment of stage III periodontitis (randomized controlled clinical trial). Saudi Dent J. 2023;35(2):172-177. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2023.01.001
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Turbo-CR. Essential Dental Systems. Accessed July 22, 2025. https://edsdental.com/Turbo-CR/
About the Author
Annie Walters, MS, RDH
Annie Walters, MSDH, RDH, has extensive experience as an oral health-care provider. She has spent time caring for individuals in Guatemala and Indian Health Service sites and is passionate about advancing access to care for individuals with specialized health care needs. She is a published author and is trained in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. Annie received her graduate degree from the University of New Mexico and currently serves as an assistant clinical professor at Northern Arizona University. Reach her at [email protected].