DEFEND+PLUS Prophy Paste

DEFEND+PLUS comes in unit-dose cups (200 per package) of coarse, medium, and fine grit formulations, and is available in 4 flavors.

Twelve hygienists, with years of experience ranging from 4 to 33, participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation of DEFEND+PLUS. They rated such features as reduced splatter, patient reaction, and stain removal effectiveness.

Ease of Use (Reduced Splatter)

DEFEND+PLUS is formulated to be smooth, pliable, splatter-free, and easy to rinse clean with water. Eight evaluators rated ease of use as excellent, 3 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good. When asked about reduced splatter, 6 evaluators rated it as excellent, 4 rated it as very good, and 2 rated it as good.

Seven hygienists cited reduced or no splatter as the feature they liked best about the paste; 1 of these evaluators also noted that it rinses easily. Another evaluator said the paste’s consistency was her favorite feature.

Four hygienists reported that the cup’s seal/foil top was “sometimes difficult to remove.” An additional 4 evaluators noted the ease of getting the paste out of the prophy cup “with no digging around.” One of these evaluators added that it “stayed where it was placed on tooth surfaces.”

Patient Reaction

DEFEND+PLUS is available in mint, cherry, vanilla/orange, and bubble gum flavors. The evaluators asked their patients for feedback on the taste of the prophy paste, as well as its level of grittiness.

Patient reaction to taste was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators, as very good to good by 4, and as fair by 4. An Eau Claire, WI hygienist suggested “more flavor choices and the addition of calcium and phosphate.” An evaluator in practice in Wapakoneta, OH said a patient told her “there isn’t much flavor in the vanilla/orange paste.” The evaluator who noted that “most patients liked the flavor choices” said the “orange/pumpkin color of the fine-grit paste [bubble gum-flavored] was offputting.” A Deerfield, MA hygienist said she thought the paste’s color “was too dark” and that she was concerned about staining bleached teeth. She suggested a lighter or more neutral color.

One hygienist said “patients loved the flavors,” another said her patients “commented on the good flavor and lack of grittiness,” and a third noted that her patients “liked the feel and flavoring… the vanilla/orange was the most popular.”

Stain Removal and Final Polish

According to the manufacturer, DEFEND+PLUS enables superior stain removal and polishing with minimal enamel loss. Stain removal effectiveness was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 6, and as good by 3. When asked about the final polish achieved with the paste, 3 hygienists rated it as excellent, 8 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good.

The evaluator who “liked the fact that the fluoride is applied at the polishing stage, as it can be rubbed into the tooth” also noted that “stain removal didn’t seem as good as I would like.” Another evaluator called it “pretty good,” adding, “I did, however, have trouble removing tobacco and wine stains.” A Massachusetts evaluator called it “a good product for stain removal and improving luster” and a New York hygienist, in practice for 31 years, described the paste as “an incredible stain remover.”

Overall Satisfaction

Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 3, as good by 5, and as fair by 1. Eight evaluators said they would definitely or probably recommend DEFEND+PLUS to colleagues and 7 said they would definitely or probably purchase it. “I love the fact that it doesn't splatter,” noted one hygienist. “What I like best is the incorporation of fluoride,” said another evaluator. “The paste seems to adhere to weaker areas of the tooth where fluoride is needed. If the tooth is stronger due to this paste (and I think it would be over time), then I think we have a winner.”