Visibility
Isolite Systems describes this device as providing
bright shadowless illumination throughout the oral
cavity. By lighting the patient’s mouth from within,
shadows are reduced or eliminated. In addition, LED
technology eliminates the need for a light box and
fiber optic cables. The manufacturer also says that the
Isolite mouthpiece provides immediate tongue and
cheek retraction. The mouthpiece also serves as a barrier,
protecting the patient’s throat from aspiration or
dropped material.
All of the evaluators rated Isolite as excellent for
improved visibility. One of the evaluators said,
“Amazing how it keeps those powerful tongues out of
the way.” Another evaluator noted that there is “no
clamp in the way for second molars.”
Isolation and Moisture Control
According to research performed by Melkers, isolation
with Isolite is drier than a rubber dam.1 The
manufacturer says that the benefits of Isolite include
easier patient aspiration with less repetitive motion,
reduced airborne aerosols, and less mirror fogging.,
and better dental outcomes.
When asked about isolation and moisture control,
7 evaluators rated Isolite as excellent and 1
rated it as very good. One evaluator noted that he
has found “no humidity from breath either.”
Patient Safety and Comfort
The manufacturer states that
patients don’t have to strain to keep
their mouths open when a dentist uses
Isolite. The built-in bite block allows
patients to keep their mouths open during
the entire procedure but with their
jaw in a resting position.
Seven of the evaluators rated Isolite
as excellent to very good with regard to
patient safety and comfort; 1 rated it as
good. “Patients love it in comparison to
[rubber] dams,” said 1 evaluator.
“They can rest instead of working so
hard to stay open.” Another evaluator
said that Isolite is “great for keeping
things from going down [the] throat.
Every once in a blue moon a patient
can’t tolerate it.”
Dental Procedure Outcome
When the evaluators were asked to
rate Isolite on improved dental procedure
outcomes, 7 rated it as excellent
and 1 rated it as very good. “Moisture
control is key for good bonding,” noted
one evaluator. “This product is excellent
in helping with this.” Another evaluator
said that Isolite gives him “confidence
in improving quality, especially
isolation for ceramic bonding.”
Ease of Use
The evaluators gave Isolite high
marks for ease of use, rating it excellent
to very good. One evaluator commented
that the system was “up and running
in 5 minutes.”
Office Productivity
The manufacturer states that dentists,
dental assistants, and hygienists who are
using Isolite are reducing procedure
times by 20% to 30%. When the dentist
evaluators were asked to rate Isolite on
improved productivity, 100% rated the
device as excellent. One evaluator said
that the tool is “like having another dental
assistant for $2 an hour.” Another
evaluator commented that it “allows
staff to take on other responsibilities
instead of being tied to the chair.” A third
dentist who participated in the evaluation
said that Isolite provides him with a
“huge time savings over [a] rubber dam
for my CEREC procedures.”
Overall Satisfaction
When the dentist evaluators were
asked if they would recommend Isolite
to their dental colleagues, all of them
said definitely. In addition, all of the
evaluators said they would definitely
purchase Isolite in the future.
When asked to give their overall satisfaction
rating for the product, 100% rated
it as excellent. One evaluator said that
Isolite “frees chairside staff to do other
duties, reducing behind schedule stress,
while improving daily productivity.”
