GUM Soft-Picks Advanced features a curved design for optimal access and a longer handle for better grip
"It hurts my gums." "It's too hard to hold." "It catches on my braces." "I can't reach the back of my mouth, so why bother?" You've heard all the reasons patients don't floss and are unenthusiastic about interproximal cleaning in general. Sunstar has responded to such concerns with GUM Soft-Picks Advanced. Providing the benefits of Soft-Picks Original, new Soft-Picks Advanced feature a curved design for easier access and a longer handle for improved grip.
Hoping to offer their patients a comfortable, effective means of interproximal cleaning, a team of Dental Product Shopper evaluators tested Soft-Picks Advanced in their offices, also sending them home with patients and using them on themselves.
"Same product as before, but the curved handle gives easier access, especially in the posterior," said Dr. Karen Schichtel, one of the dental professionals who tried Soft-Picks Advanced for this evaluation. Dr. Schichtel, who was looking for a solution to flossing noncompliance, told DPS, "Patients really liked this product. I am hopeful."
Curved Design and Longer, Sturdier Handle
"The design is great, and they work well. It's very easy to access posterior areas," said Florida hygienist Michele Schuster. "[The] curve allows easier access to molar areas," Twyla Rader, RDH, added. The curved design of Soft-Picks Advanced facilitates access even in the posterior, and the longer handle improves grip while enhancing comfort and control. Calling the picks much easier to grasp and maneuver, hygienist LuCinda Tripp noted, "[I] love the longer, curved handle and pick."
Several evaluators identified the longer handle as their favorite feature. Arizona hygienist Darbi Brisbon said, "It's got a stiff handle, nice curve, and it's safe for the gum tissues." She noted that the handle doesn't become bent while cleaning interdentally. Dr. Craig Barrington, however, suggested he would like a bendable handle. Hygienist Kim Williams found the picks easier for elderly patients and the general population, and Tessa Simpson, RDH, told DPS that she loved the thicker rubber handle, which she said made it easier for patients with dexterity issues to hold.
Plaque Removal and Use with Appliances/Restorations
Like the originals, Soft-Picks Advanced have over 75 flexible, tapered synthetic rubber bristles, which easily slide into smaller and wider spaces, and safely clean around orthodontic appliances and restorations, according to Sunstar. They gently remove plaque and dislodge food while promoting circulation by massaging and stimulating the gingiva.
"It was thick enough for medium-to-large spaces between teeth [and] convenient to grab after meals," Simpson said, and Dr. Rita Sabaitis called the picks an easy way to clean interproximally. Looking for a flossing alternative, hygienist Michelle Cunningham said the picks reached interproximal spaces easily. Tripp liked the gentle soft rubber coating that "grabs the plaque and debris" and said they curve around and between the teeth nicely. Dr. Pauline Lu said using the picks is easier than flossing, and Schuster said, "I love the rubber and ribbed design of the soft picks. Cleans very well interproximally."
When asked about use with orthodontics and restorations, Schuster said the picks work great in tight contacts and are very easy to use around orthodontic appliances. Trisha Fluent found them to be "easy across the board" for bridge, perio, and ortho. Williams noted, "Patients with food impaction areas liked the way it cleaned."
Patient Compliance
Sunstar says Soft-Picks Advanced are ideal for noncompliant flossers because they're easy to use, comfortable, and safe for sensitive gingival tissue. The 60-count package with travel case fits in any pocket or purse. "It's an adjunct that many patients like and will use," noted hygienist Carrie Ohnstad, who said one of her patients who travels a lot found it convenient to use Soft-Picks Advanced daily while in his vehicle. Fluent called the picks useful for those struggling with floss, and Holley Hanson found that they don't poke or hurt the gums. Dr. Barrington said, "They were soft and safer, and more comfortable and portable than other products we have seen and tried," and Tripp added, "Patients actually use them."
Overall Satisfaction
"Within a day of use, my dentist went to the store and purchased his own," shared Simpson. Dr. Barrington called them "simply a great new product," and Rader said, "Any dental aid that makes interproximal cleaning for periodontally involved patients easier is worth introducing to your patients." Calling Soft-Picks Advanced her new favorite interdental cleaner, Brisbon told DPS, "I already see the benefit of interdental picks, and this is the best so far. I personally use them every day. This is my go-to now."