I hope you find some treasures in this list of products.
I wrote this column in the midst of the 2001 holiday hype, which includes hourly bombardments about gift ideas. The headlines announce the "Deal of the Day" and "Best Gift Ever." The season inspired me to gather a "Wow File" for esthetic hygiene products. I enlisted some help and input from my friends and colleagues at RDH@yahoogroups.
I asked them, "What are some cool products that have come out for hygienists this past year?" It was a very broad question, and it elicited a variety of answers. Since this column is about esthetic hygiene, I developed the list below with that perspective in mind. In addition, some of the responses did not stay within the context of the original question. Some of the products recommended, for example, have been available on the market for more than a year.
But, who cares? I rarely color within the lines.
It has been said, "One person's trash is another person's treasure." So, with that in mind, I hope you find some treasures in this list of products. In an attempt to minimize biases, I listed the products in alphabetical order by product name. Symbols appear beside each one. This # symbol denotes my favorites, and the ? symbol acknowledges the suggestions from the RDH@yahoogroups.
Cool and wow products# ? CAESY Clinical Advanced Edu-cation Systems — Education is vital to the process of facilitating clients' wants and needs and serves as a foundation for co-diagnosis. Clients can see, hear, and learn about treatment diagnostic findings, recommended treatment plans, educational information, and post-care policies — plus the integration of photography and X-rays. This product breaks the wow meter! CAESY Education Systems, (800) 683-5409, www.caesy.com# ? CavityShield — Unit-dosages of 5 percent sodium fluoride varnish are easy, convenient, and they battle hypersensitivity and caries formation. OMNII Oral Pharmaceuticals, (800) 445-3386, www. omnii-products.com
# ? Clinpro Prophy Paste — New studies say, "lower relative abrasion to dentin and enamel" and "less gloss reduction on a microfill surface" compared to the standard "leading fine paste." Hygienists have to continue to search for products that support preservation of natural tooth structures, as well as esthetic and restorative dentistry. 3M ESPE, (800) 634-2249, www.3MESPE.com
# Compliance — 28-Day Oral Co-Therapy Treatment (alcohol-free) and Perio-med — 14-day Crown & Bridge Kit — The idea of providing the client with an "oral care package" with all the needed home-service products is cool and wow! This concept is simple and complete; clients are armed with all of their needed home oral care co-therapy products. OMNII Oral Pharma-ceuticals, (800) 445-3386, www.omnii-prod ucts.com
# ? Diamond Probe/Perio 2000® System — If periodontal health is not stabilized and managed, then why move on to more definitive treatment? The probe is intended to ensure probing depths, to evaluate the presence or absence of bleeding on probing, as well as to detect the presence of sulfides in periodontal pockets. This is wow technology! Diamond General Development Corp., (888) 737-4620, www.periodigm.com.
# Finale Polishing System — New wow technologies are available that allow hygienists to renew, repolish, and, in some states, repair composite microleakage. We need to learn more about tooth-colored material management. (Other products noted were ICB Brush, Jiffy Coat Brush and Jiffy Composite Polishing Brushes, and HiShine.) Ultradent Products Inc., (800) 552-5512, www.ultradent.com
# ? Implant-Prophy+ — I use these in clinical practice for esthetic/restorative cases, implant cases, on hypersensitive teeth, or just with the client whom I have to peel off the ceiling as soon as I walk into the room. The capability to resharpen is cool! AIT Dental, (310) 652-9314, www.aitden tal.com
# ? OralCDx — Mandatory oral cancer screening on all recare clients should be the standard of care. Benign-appearing lesions can be precancerous or cancerous; test them now! OralCDx, (800) 531-9439, www.oralcdx.com
# ? ProActive Care Prophy Pak — Only combination hygiene pack which easily brings together breath care management, tongue deplaquing, and whitening awareness into the hygiene session. Discus Dental, (800) 422-9448, www.discusdental.com
# PropEZ Plus — The cool solution for when you're working without an assistant or rubber dam and you need to take your eyes off the oral cavity for one millisecond — and, then, the unthinkable — the client closes and you have to start all over again. Ultradent Products Inc., (800) 552-5512, www.ultradent.com
# ? UltraSeal XT Plus — It's light-cured, 58 percent filled (increased wear-resistance), and now contains FluorUtite. FluorUtite is an unique natural fluoride source that boosts fluoride release after placement. Wow! The in-spiral brush tip delivery system ensures that the smallest of fissures can be filled from the bottom up. Its three steps — etch, dry and prime, and seal — significantly enhance penetration, bond, and seal of sealant. Ultradent Products Inc., (800) 552-5512, www.ultradent.com
Honorable MentionsLegally, I cannot perform these procedures, but I have heard some wow comments from hygienists who can.? Comfort Control Syringe — Dentsply Professional, (800) 800-7202, www.midwestdental.com
? DIAGNOdent — KaVo America, (800) 323-8029, www.kavousa.com
? Laser technology — American Dental Technologies, (800) 793-3717 or BioLase, (888) 424-6527, www.biolase. com
Kristine A. Hodsdon, RDH, BS, presents seminars nationally about esthetic hygiene. She also has developed Pre-D Systems, a pre-diagnostic computerized clinical checklist for oral health professionals. She can be contacted through www.pre-d.com.
