The Prepster: Chairside Organization Made Simple

Dr. William Davidson and his team previously relied on a makeshift method to manage multiunit restorative cases. “We would place a tray on the countertop and draw circles on the tray cover, which were labeled with tooth numbers to organize the restorative components,” he said. “Often, this would lead to confusion, as components would roll around on the tray—making it harder to differentiate between multiple similar-looking units.”

But now, The Prepster chairside case organizer from Hager Worldwide provides an intuitive, streamlined solution that eliminates the frustration and inefficiency of keeping track of restorative components. “With The Prepster, the more pieces you’re working with, the more beneficial it is,” he said. “It allows the assistant to prepare a patient’s restorations before the doctor even enters the operatory. Therefore, everything is in its proper place during the procedure, and we can easily see which tooth each restoration is for.”

A New Standard for Multiunit Cases

Indicated for easy chairside organization of dental restorative components, The Prepster is an autoclavable silicone palate with a transparent lid and 14 numbered wells in the shape of a dental arch. When the arch is facing the user, it represents the upper arch; when it’s facing away from the user, it represents the lower arch. The wells also can be used to hold porcelain stain and glaze material, with each numbered well being used to mix a given color to its desired consistency.

After using The Prepster in his practiced for several weeks, Dr. Akshay Vij pointed out a particularly significant patient case. “I was doing a smile makeover that involved 10 crowns, and when working with that many crowns, it’s important to stay organized and ensure proper placement,” he said. “The Prepster works great for exactly that.”

Dr. Davidson also recalled a recent patient case where The Prepster came to the rescue. “I recently performed a large anterior restorative case,” he said. “This multi-implant patient required 4 abutments and 6 crowns, and The Prepster made it easy to organize everything, especially when trying those parts in and out of the mouth.” He added that having 2 units of The Prepster could be very helpful when placing restorations on both the maxillary and mandibular arches.

Boost Efficiency, Reduce Waste

Clinicians simply place restorative components—including crowns, veneers, inlays onlays, and implants—in The Prepster relative to the patient’s anatomy. There also are 5 other wells that can be used separately for drivers, torque rachets, and other small parts and pieces that will be used during procedures.

“The Prepster has significantly improved our workflow, keeping us organized before and during restorative care more than ever before,” Dr. Vij said. “It helps keep components from getting contaminated with saliva or blood before cementation. Then, once you start cementing restorations, the procedure moves along quickly, especially during cases that lack ample working time. It helps that The Prepster includes the tooth numbers in its wells, which makes us confident that we're picking up the right restoration for each tooth.”

Dr. Vij appreciates that The Prepster can be run through the autoclave, which helps prevent cross-contamination while also reducing waste and saving money. “It also allows The Prepster to be easily set up and ready to go for the next patient,” he added.

Dr. Davidson echoed those comments, sharing, “It’s very hygienic. It can be sterilized, and then the assistants can place all the sterilized parts directly inside vs putting them on a tray cover. It’s just more practical this way.”