Product Evaluation

PATTERSON DENTAL

Disposable Prophy Angles Evaluation

An efficient and affordable disposable prophy angle with a durable, flexible cup that’s designed to reduce splatter

Wiping up a patient’s saliva, enduring wrist and hand fatigue, and getting splattered with prophy paste are some less-than-glamorous tasks that are part of everyday life for dental hygienists. To ease these difficulties, hygienists need to arm themselves with the right tools—user-friendly dental products that are efficient, ergonomic, and easy to use that still promote excellent patient care and safety. Having a well-designed prophy angle, for example, can make a big difference in a hygienist’s daily routine.

When choosing a prophy angle for her day-today needs, Jennifer Colburn, RDH, said she prefers a flexible, low-splatter disposable prophy angle (DPA) with just the right amount of flare. Along with several other dental hygienists, Colburn volunteered to test Patterson Dental’s Disposable Prophy Angles for DPS, and she soon realized that this DPA exceeded her expectations. “This prophy angle produced less splatter but still had great flexibility and flare,” she said. “I liked the flexibility of the prophy cup and the fact that it flared for subgingival polishing, and it held more paste than the other brand I had been using,” she explained. Overall, Colburn said that using Patterson’s DPA “provided a functional but comfortable prophy for my patients.”

Cup Design

Made in the United States, each Patterson DPA features a durable and flexible prophy cup designed to reduce paste splatter. Available in a soft or firm cup design with a latex or latex-free option, the angles are individually wrapped and disposable to prevent cross contamination. The DPAs can be ordered with short or long handles, and each box holds an assortment of handle colors in blue, pink, and green. Experimenting with both the soft and firm cups, Dana Jones said, “The cup was firm and small enough, and I like the small head that flares.” While a few hygienists thought the cup was a bit too stiff, Amy Corder enjoyed the “soft, supple cup for easy flaring” and said they are good, affordable angles. “The cup is soft like I prefer and slips under the gum lines well,” stated Sherry Morrissey, who suggested a smaller cup size. Amy Lieberman noted, “It is light and flexible and attaches to the slow handpiece quite easily,” and Sara Jane Snyder said, “It was delightful to have a range of colors to pick from.”

Minimal Splatter

“When saliva builds up during polishing, it creates a splatter effect,” said Snyder, who was really “hoping that this prophy head would reduce the risk of splatter,” especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “These prophy heads reduced splatter to help keep a safer working environment,” she explained. “I was able to polish on the mandibular posterior area without an issue.” All but one of the evaluators said the DPA produced less splatter than their previous product, with Lieberman commenting, “The splatter was significantly less with the Patterson prophy angle.” Mandy Macachor noted, “The best feature is the minimal splatter while using” and also said the packaging was easy to open, which allowed for efficient setup for patients. Susan Afeltra said she had to keep wiping up splatter and suggested that the angles should hold more paste, while Lynell Ciranna stated, “We continue to polish through the COVID-19 pandemic, so it helps when the polisher does not splatter prophy paste.”

Stain Removal & Ergonomics

“The cup seemed to help remove stain and plaque better than others,” shared Amy Sherman, and Macachor said, “In cases of heavy stain, it removed more tenacious stain, especially with lingual and lower anteriors.” Using a medium grit paste with the DPA, Morrissey was able to remove moderate coffee stains with ease, and Ciranna commented, “It’s great with lingual or facial stains, as the cup is strong enough to remove those [stains] most times.” She also said the angles attach and detach from the handpiece easily.

Featuring a 90° angle for ease of access to the oral cavity, the prophy angles operate smoothly with no vibration, according to Sherman, and Ciranna agreed. Praising the ergonomic design, Tammy Sjurseth said, “I didn’t have to apply much pressure to have it work, which caused less fatigue. I needed a dependable DPA, and this one worked great every day in all situations.”

"This prophy angle produced less splatter but still had great flexibility and flare."
-Jennifer Colburn, RDH
Jonesboro, AR

Overall Satisfaction

“I was satisfied in using the product for patients with prominent stain on their teeth,” reported Macachor, who said several of her patients noticed a difference after polishing. “This product will definitely replace our current disposable prophy angle,” shared Lieberman. “Anything to make our job easier during this difficult time impacts the chairside experience!”

Takeaways

• Firm or soft cup, latex or latex-free material, long or short handle in 3 colors
• Flexible cup with optimal flare reduces splatter
• Individually packaged and disposable to prevent cross-contamination
• Effectively removes stain without needing to apply too much pressure