Double-sided #5 mirror with suction acts as a cheek and tongue retractor to provide excellent aspiration, while working in tandem with a saliva ejector
Dental hygienists do enough multitasking throughout the day. It’s a job in itself evaluating patients for signs of periodontal disease and educating them about oral hygiene homecare. But when you add in x-rays, prophylactic treatment, and applying sealants and fluorides—it’s nice to have a tool on the tray that does the multitasking for you.
Mirror Suction DS from Hager Worldwide is an autoclavable mouth mirror with built-in suction. It functions as both a cheek retractor and tongue guard, while reducing the amount of water that collects in a patient’s mouth during treatment. Kristi Evansen, a hygienist from Kaukauna, WI, likes that Mirror Suction DS pairs well when using an ultrasonic scaler to clean patients’ teeth, and that the saliva ejector helps remove water at its source.
“I really liked having another way to reduce the amount of water that might collect in the patient’s mouth,” said Evansen. “I was also able to direct the mirror to the back area of the mouth, if needed, for additional suctioning. It’s nice to have a double-sided mirror for comfort of use at various angles.” She also found it to be a helpful tool when treating elderly patients, who usually have more difficulty handling water accumulation.
Another common challenge hygienists face when scaling and root planing is maintaining visibility and dry fields during treatment. “This product allowed me to see, suction, and retract at the same time,” said Jeanette Crofts, a hygienist in Basking Ridge, NJ. One of the biggest things she gained from adding Mirror Suction DS to her tray, however, was time.
“I no longer panic when I see sealants in my schedule without an assistant being available.” Crofts said she was recently working on a patient when it was decided last minute that sealant was needed. There was little time in her schedule to perform the procedure, but because she had Mirror Suction DS and its attached tubing on hand, she was able to complete the task quickly, and without an assistant.
She said her patients are happy that they are not “drowning,” thanks to Mirror Suction DS, and that she can provide better dental care. “I love it—it makes scaling and root planing much easier and keeps the field clear,” Crofts concluded.
