Gelato Prophy Paste combines pleasing flavors with smooth, splatter-free application
Like many hygienists, Amanda Adams was looking for a prophy paste that would provide a great taste for patients and less splatter for her. After trying Keystone’s Gelato Prophy Paste for this DPS evaluation, Adams discovered that this product fit the bill. “Everyone loved the taste and I loved the consistency with less splatter and great polishing ability,” she shared. A team of hygienists used this prophy paste in their practices for about 4 weeks and shared their opinions on features such as ease of application, patient satisfaction, and stain removal.
Ease of Application
Gelato’s smooth, pliable, splatter-free formula is easy to apply and features color-coded tops for easy identification, a prophy ring for easy application, and disposable cups to eliminate cross-contamination. Each hygienist received 200 individual cups of the prophy paste in assorted flavors and chose one of 4 grits to try (fine, medium, coarse, or x-coarse).
“The foil cover was easy to remove with no residual film like my current brand,” noted Brenda Buergi, who added, “The smooth texture makes filling my prophy cup easy.” Amy Lieberman said she “loved the consistency of this product” and called the paste very adaptable, with no splatter, and said it removed stain well. Similar feedback was offered by Diane Plaskow, who said, “The consistency seemed much finer than what I usually use in my office.” Hygienist Dori Potts described Gelato as “easier to use [with a] creamy texture,” and said she especially liked its “less splatter, smoothness, and less grit.” Telling DPS she’d recommend Gelato to colleagues because of its ease of use, Angie Reeds explained, “The softer/moister paste clung to the cup and the teeth better than the drier paste we’ve been using and there was much less splatter.” She concluded, “Polishing was a much cleaner experience for both of us!”
A few evaluators commented on ease of rinsing, including Jessica Dusseault, who said she enjoyed how easily it rinsed off. Kathryn Wagener, RDH found that the color of the paste was easy to see in the mouth, but she suggested that Keystone change the color of the foil top in order to distinguish between the different flavors.
Patient Reaction: Flavor and Texture
Available in 6 flavors—bubble gum, cherry, mint, pina colada, orange sherbet, and raspberry—patients were pleased with Gelato’s flavors and textures, with Donna Grzegorek, RDH, reporting, “Patients loved the taste; very mild.” Several of Deborah Deal’s patients commented on the pleasant taste and said it felt less gritty than previous pastes. Dusseault told DPS, “the flavor was widely accepted; many patients commented on the choice of flavors and enjoyed the flavor they picked,” and Jolyn Meeker remarked, “Most [patients] liked the mild flavor
and it rinsed out well.” In the past, some of Dawn Hines’ patients had complained that they didn’t like the feel of the polish, but, after switching to Gelato, Hines’ patients said the polish felt smoother and they had fewer complaints. “It made my patients happy so that makes me happy!” Hines added. While hoping to find a prophy paste with flavors other than just mint, Brenda Archambault, CRDH, said she was pleased that “there were other flavors to offer patients.” Wagener’s patients loved the flavor and the texture, while Adams said she would like to see “more flavors.”
Polishing and Stain Removal
According to Keystone, Gelato’s 1.23% fluoride ion formulation is perfect for high-luster polishing and stain removal, yet it remains gentle on enamel. The 4 available grits make the paste suitable for every need. “This product came in multiple degrees of textures to address all needs,” said Lieberman. Calling it “great on stain,” Meeker said Gelato polished well and she liked the texture. “It removes stain well and doesn’t splatter,” Wagener reported, and Dea Houser described it as “effective and gentle.”
Overall Satisfaction
Wagener was likely speaking for most hygienists when she said she was looking for a prophy paste that “works well, doesn’t splatter, and is palatable to patients.” After testing Gelato, she discovered, “This prophy paste has a pleasant taste and texture for patients, it removes stains well, and doesn’t splatter.” Most of the evaluators said they would recommend Gelato to their colleagues, including Plaskow, who called it a great product that’s easy to use, and Deal, who said, “This is a nice product that I would consider buying.”
For Buergi, Gelato was a hit with both patients and staff members. She said her patients were happy with the taste and grit and the technician was happy with the ease of application and clean up. When asked what features she liked most about Gelato, Adams replied, “I can’t name just one; it was great overall.”
