Swipe Right (or Left) for Cleaner Instruments
Highly absorbent with an adhesive backing, Fit-n-Swipe Clean and Fit-n-Swipe Dry make quick work of cleaning instruments and mirrors during patient care
On the list of unpleasant things that patients can experience during a dental cleaning is watching a bloodied gauze or loose piece of calculus roll off their chest as they sit up in the dental chair. While this scenario has played out for Karen Dong, RDH, more often than she’d care to admit, she recently discovered a better way to keep her instruments and mirrors clean during hygiene appointments: Fit-n-Swipe.
Specially designed for cleaning instruments and mirrors, Fit-n-Swipe pads are highly absorbent and feature an adhesive backing that allows the pad to be placed anywhere, including on the hand or finger, an instrument, a tray, or patient bib. Made of a unique microfiber with a high capacity to absorb and retain moisture and debris, Fit-n-Swipe Clean pads make quick work of wiping off instruments, while Fit-n-Swipe Dry’s unique multilayered fabric removes moisture and contaminants without streaking.
“They do an incredible job of cleaning instruments,” said Dong, who was introduced to Fit-n-Swipe during a recent DPS product review. “All I have to do is gently push the tip of the instrument into the pad—there’s no need to turn or twist the instrument as I would when using a gauze. No matter how dirty my instruments are, they always come out of the Fit-n-Swipe pad clean.”
Say Goodbye to Gauze
Like most hygienists, Dong would begin each appointment by stacking a pile of 2 × 2 gauze on the tray. “To save time, I use a gauze to wipe off instruments only when the tips and faces become full of debris. For mirrors, I usually do a quick swipe on the inside of the patient’s cheek,” she said.
“No matter how dirty my instruments are, they always come out of the Fit-n-Swipe pad clean.”
- Karen Dong, RDH
Old habits can die hard, but that’s not been the case for Dong, as she says using Fit-n-Swipe pads instead of gauze has been an easy switch. “I stick the pad on the back of my non-dominant hand between the area of my thumb and index finger so I can easily wipe off my instruments without turning or moving that hand,” she said. “In fact, the transition was so easy that I find myself reaching over to that area even when I don’t have the pad on.”
Fit-n-Swipe has been especially useful for Dong during scaling and root planing, or when treating patients with heavy plaque buildup or food impactions. She has even cut the pads in half to be more economical and says the “halfsies” work equally well.
“Wiping off instruments and mirrors on the patient’s bib or a gauze placed on the bib is not ergonomic for us as clinicians, nor is it safe for patients,” said Dong. “Fit-n-Swipe makes my workflow more efficient and has truly exceeded my expectations.”
