Sunstar Americas’ Butler Paste-Free Prophy is unique because it provides prophylaxis without paste, grit, or splatter.
According to information provided by the manufacturer, one of the biggest problems hygienists encounter when performing dental prophylaxis is splatter. Many hygienists have requested an improvement in the splatter that occurs during cleanings.
Sunstar Americas addressed this issue with Butler Paste-Free Prophy. In field tests conducted by Sunstar Americas, 150 hygienists in the United States and Canada used the Butler Paste-Free Prophy on more than 2000 patients. These hygienists reported an elimination of splatter, time savings because of the lack of paste, and a reduction in rinsing.
Dental Product Shopper’s hygienist evaluators also had an opportunity to try Paste-Free Prophy. Here is what they had to say.
Splatter and Visualization
When the 7 hygienists who participated in this product evaluation were asked to rate the Butler Paste-Free Prophy on splatter, 6 rated it as excellent and 1 rated it as very good. All of the hygienists commented on the fact that they experienced no splatter. The lack of splatter helped the hygienists achieve better visualization during the prophylaxis procedure. When they were asked to rate the product on visualization during polishing (could they see what they were polishing), 5 rated the Paste-Free Prophy as excellent, 1 rated it as very good, and 1 rated it as good. One hygienist said she liked that there is “no paste to obscure your view.”
Cup Flare
The hygienists were asked to rate the Butler Paste-Free Prophy on cup flare. Three hygienists rated the product as good, 1 rated it as fair, and 3 rated it as poor. A few of the hygienists found the cup to be too rigid. One hygienist said that she found the cup to be “initially stiff, not adapting well to proximal surfaces.” Another evaluator said, “The cup does not flare like I need it to.” The manufacturer acknowledges that the flare is less than that of a soft cup. However, the flare was designed for "optimal paste-free cleaning." In a study conducted by the manufacturer, 150 hygienists found that the cup flared appropriately.
Stain Removal
According to the manufacturer, independent laboratory tests conducted at the Indiana University School of Dentistry’s Oral Health Research Institute found that Butler Paste-Free Prophy cleans as well as traditional paste. The Indiana University tests used 150 grams of pressure at different time intervals between 3 and 20 seconds. Statistically, the data is the same as for traditional paste. When the hygienists were asked to rate Butler Paste-Free Prophy on stain removal, 4 rated it as excellent to good and 3 rated it as fair. One evaluator said that the product “did a fine job for light stain on a flat surface.” She went on to comment that because of the problem she experienced with cup flare, the product did not do as well on interproximal stains. Another evaluator said, “Good stain removal, even without prophy paste.” Some of the other evaluators thought that the product worked well on light stain, but not quite as well on heavy stain.
Patient Feedback
The hygienists who participated in this evaluation asked their patients to provide their comments on Butler Paste-Free Prophy. Six hygienists said their patients rated the lack of grit after the prophylaxis as excellent to very good and 1 hygienists’ patients rated it as good. One hygienist said, “The patients loved the grit-free feel.” Another hygienist said, “This product is great for children that gagged easily. The lack of grit was pleasant for them.” When the hygienists asked their patients about the lack of flavor in this product, 2 hygienists said their patients rated the product as excellent, 3 hygienists’ patients rated it as good, and 2 hygienists’ patients rated lack of flavor as fair to poor. One hygienist commented that “many patients missed the opportunity to pick their favorite flavor.” Another hygienist said, “The patients liked the fact that it did not have flavor. A lot of paste flavors are too strong for patients.” A third hygienist said she received “no negative comments from patients; [they] did not mind that it was flavorless.”
Overall Satisfaction
When asked to rate their overall satisfaction with Butler Paste-Free Prophy, the majority of the hygienists rated it as good. When commenting on the amount of rinsing required with this product, 1 evaluator said, “Several patients felt they did not need to rinse at all.” Another hygienist commented that “my patients enjoyed the lack of gritty feel on their teeth.”
