Crosstex’s twist™plus Helps Reduce Cross-Contamination, Improves Patient Experience
Compendium features peer-reviewed articles and continuing education opportunities on restorative techniques, clinical insights, and dental innovations, offering essential knowledge for dental professionals.
May 1, 2019
Volume 40, Issue 5, May 2019
Page(s): p. 312
As Director of Clinical Services and Education at Crosstex International, the Dental Division of Cantel, Leann Keefer, RDH, MSM, is highly qualified in the educational, clinical, and corporate sectors of dental hygiene. A graduate of Indiana University, where Keefer says it is inherent for a dental hygiene student to focus on prevention since it's the home base of the late Dr. Joseph Muhler of Crest® dentifrice development fame, she taught at her alma mater for almost 20 years, chaired a dental hygiene program at the Community College of Denver, and segued into corporate education at various dental companies. Her distinguished career has primarily focused on education in prevention in oral health and infection control. For this reason she is passionate about Crosstex's twist™plus Oscillating Disposable Prophy Angles.
Keefer's favorite aspect of the twistplus is its unique ability to oscillate 120 degrees in smooth, continuous counter-rotational motions. "This aspect helps eliminate splatter and frictional heat that is associated with traditional 360-degree spinning DPAs," she claims. This, she says, allows for safe and efficient continuous contact polishing, as compared with the intermittent touch and patting motions currently recommended for use with 360-degree spinning angles.
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Ergonomics and safety are factors that went into the design of the hard plastic grip of the twistplus, Keefer notes. "The half-moon recessed ridges allow for a more secure, comfortable, modified pen-type grasp while wearing gloves in what can often be a slippery environment," she attests.
Additionally, the inner webbing of the prophy cup provides better pick-up and retention of paste, she explains, while the external fluting helps to improve interproximal biofilm/stain removal. "I also particularly like the snug-fit connection between the back of the rubber cup connection with the prophy head," Keefer says. "This feature prevents the inadvertent ‘catching' of the side corners of the patient's mouth."
Of course, an improved patient experience was a major consideration in the design of the twistplus, according to Keefer.Because of the smaller, domed head design, patient comfort is increased when the prophy angle is placed in the back of the mouth, she says. "This design improves maneuverability for better, more effective access, while allowing for more enhanced visibility for the clinician."
Other key features of the twistplus, Keefer adds, include the robust gear mechanism, which enables the unit to provide smooth, continuous-running motion. Also, the single-use disposable prophy angle promotes compliance with infection control practices. Moreover, the twistplus is available in both a soft (gray) and firm (white) cup as well as a tapered brush design, which is ideal for occlusal surfaces and use with orthodontic patients, as it enables easy access to areas between brackets, wires, and bands.
For those interested in purchasing and using the twistplus,Crosstex offers a variety of instruction and resources on its website; an on-demand CE webinar, "Preventive Measures: The Science of Essential Pol-ishing," which is presented by Keefer at crosstexlearning.com; and YouTube videos.
"Polishing has been an integral part of dental hygiene care since the beginning of the profession," Keefer acknowledges. "As technology has evolved in dentistry, so has the approach to the polishing protocol. The twistplus polishes teeth while reducing bioaerosols and splatter, provides ease of control and ergonomics for the clinician, and improves patient experiences and outcomes. What's not to love about it?"
Crosstex International
888-276-7783
crosstex.com/twist-plus
