Product Evaluation

SAFCO

CleanCare Prophy Angles

With excellent flare and multiple design options that promote optimal access and cleaning, these prophy angles make hygiene appointments more effective and efficient

Imagine this scene: an over-worked hygienist is toiling to access the far reaches of the oral cavity to remove stain and debris while an anxious patient wiggles and gags and resists opening wide. This is a real-life example of the daily struggles that dental hygienists face in the operatory, especially during prophylaxis appointments.

To minimize these struggles, many hygienists have learned to rely on user-and patient-friendly products that help provide a more positive experience for their patients and themselves. A hygienist may use a scaler with an ergonomic handle to help prevent wrist pain, a pleasantly flavored prophy paste to appease the patient, or an efficient prophy angle that minimizes noise and vibration—a win-win for everyone involved.

Designed with both the hygienist and patient in mind, Safco’s disposable CleanCare Prophy Angles enhance the prophy experience with their smooth and quiet operation, minimal splatter, flexible cup design, and a flare that covers the tooth surface.

Thrilled with just about every aspect of the CleanCare Prophy Angles’ design, hygienist Patricia Brune named the cup’s flare, the shorter head, and the ease of accessing the posterior as her favorite features. When using the shorter head angles, she was able to easily “access and polish the linguals of lower posterior teeth without patients fighting me or gagging.” And the cup “made polishing teeth easier and faster since it flared out nicely to cover the whole tooth,” Brune added.

Cup Design

Available in soft or firm cup flexibility in both long and short cup lengths, the CleanCare angles are designed with a ribbed/webbed surface for enhanced cleaning ability. The latex-free angles come individually wrapped and are disposable for infection control reassurance.

“I liked having options for different challenges,” noted Katelin Johnson, RDH. “The flexibility of the soft long angles is amazing for crowding and shifted teeth, and the firm short angles are great for tough stains on straighter teeth.” Tammy Sjurseth found the prophy cup “just soft enough to flare and cover all the areas I needed,” and Linda Kovary Bell “liked the soft long cup,” which was “flexible to contour around the tooth with reduced splatter.” For Monica Rogers, “the cup size and shape were optimal for visibility,” but she said, “It seemed to require more pressure to work” compared to another prophy angle. Calling the cups “a lot softer” than other angles, Brune said, “They flared out to clean tooth surfaces better, and the shorter head version made it easier to access posterior teeth.” She suggested narrower heads to work on crowded anterior teeth.

Praising the quiet, smooth operation and the small, less wasteful packaging, Amber Metro-Sanchez said, “I loved the convenient box, which allowed the angles to be dispensed easily.” When asked about improvements, Metro-Sanchez suggested grooves on the outside of the cup to aid in stain removal.

“The flexibility of the soft long angles is amazing for crowding and shifted teeth, and the firm short angles are great for tough stains.”
—Katelin Johnson, RDH; Lindenhurst, NY

Efficiency of Cleaning & Polishing

Stating that the CleanCare Prophy Angles “work well to remove plaque and made polishing smooth and access easy,” Sjurseth also said they “worked well with the motors we use.” She told DPS that “having an angle that didn’t splatter or vibrate was wonderful.” Noting that “the cup adapts to the tooth surface very well,” Metro-Sanchez said her assistant, who is trained to do coronal polishing, “prefers this prophy angle over our usual brand.” Hygienist Shannon Aikman said that “ease of use and minimal splatter” were her favorite features, while Nancy Shepard suggested better cup flare and better stain removal.

Quality & Durability

Happy to find that the CleanCare prophy angles were “easy to use and seem like quality products,” hygienist Kristi Evansen said, “None of the inner cups came apart.” Impressed by the cup’s flare, Kim Williams, RDH, said the prophy head did not freeze or lock up, and Kovary Bell said CleanCare did not fray, explaining that the “cup held up throughout the prophy without falling apart or seizing, and ortho brackets didn’t cause the cup to shred.” She was especially pleased that she “didn’t have to replace the angle during the appointment.” Metro-Sanchez shared, “I didn’t get a single prophy angle that didn’t work properly in the 2 boxes I received,” and Johnson said, “The firm short angles were durable for longer use.”

Overall Satisfaction

Impressed with the CleanCare Prophy Angles and eager to purchase and recommend them in the future, Sjurseth summed up her experience by saying, “The angles made the prophy process easy and worry free.” Concluding that the prophy angles are “very reliable” and “good quality for an off name brand,” Metro-Sanchez disclosed, “Due to the quiet and smooth operation of the CleanCare Prophy Angles, even my most nervous children felt comfortable with the polishing procedure.”

Takeaways

• Multiple configurations offered with soft or firm cup flexibility in long and short cup lengths 
• Excellent flare for easy access and thorough contact with tooth surface
• Cup features ribbed/webbed design to enhance cleaning ability
• Angles produce minimal noise, vibration, and splatter
• Convenient packaging with individually wrapped, disposable angles for infection control