Now more than ever, dental professionals are looking for better protection from aerosol contamination. (If sick germs tend to spread through your dental office like wildfire, you know what we’re talking about!)
All those sick days can lead to added stress for the team and affect the bottom line of the dental practice. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution to dramatically reduce aerosols ... before your patients’ procedures even begin!
Add a Pre-Procedural Rinse to Your Transmission-Based Precautions
Did you know that aerosols in the dental office can linger in the air for up to four hours after treatments like ultrasonic scaling? (Calculate the number of patients you see each hour and it’s easy to see why aerosols are a mounting concern.)
The best air purifiers in the world and the most fastidious wiping down of surfaces can only do so much. The secret to limiting staff exposure to aerosols even more is to have patients use a pre-procedural rinse.
This is a quick, 30-second measure to reduce oral microbial count, thereby reducing the risk of pathogenic microbes being released into the exam room as aerosol droplets. Less aerosol droplets = greater protection and peace of mind.
The Rinse You Use Matters
We all want to give patients a better chairside experience without sacrificing effectiveness. Therefore, the pre-procedural rinse you choose matters.
The problem with using alcohol-based mouthrinses is they can burn. And chlorhexidine (CHX) rinses, which many practices use, come with a host of undesirable side effects, including:
- Unpleasant taste
- Dry mouth
- Irritation
- Staining
That’s why the results of a four-month, double-blind aerosol study published in Dental Hypotheses are so noteworthy.
Clinical Aerosol Study
In the study, 120 patients with chronic periodontitis were divided randomly into three groups.
Each group used a pre-procedural rinse before ultrasonic scaling:
- 40 patients received water as a pre-procedural rinse
- 40 patients received CHX gluconate as a pre-procedural rinse
- 40 patients received Oxyfresh Fresh Breath Lemon Mint Mouthwash as a pre-procedural rinse (active ingredient: stabilized chlorine dioxide)
The aerosols produced by the ultrasonic unit were collected at five different points in the exam room and then analyzed.
THE RESULTS:Oxyfresh Lemon Mint Mouthwash was just as effective as chlorhexidine (CHX) in reducing aerosol contamination.
While both rinses significantly reduced CFUs versus water, what’s key here is the patient experience.
Why Oxyfresh Mouthwash Delivers a Better Patient Experience
Oxyfresh’s proprietary blend of stabilized chlorine dioxide (Oxygene®), which neutralizes volatile sulfur compounds via the process of oxidation, is tasteless and odorless, so no bitterness like you'll get from CHX rinses. It doesn’t burn, stain, or dry out the tissue, so it’s also perfect for long-term, at-home patient use.
And as you’re aware, taste always rules the day for patients. Oxyfresh’s Fresh Breath Lemon Mint Mouthwash tastes amazing with a light, refreshing blend of essential oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit, bergamot, lime and spearmint), and xylitol natural sweetener. Plus, it’s 100% alcohol free for no burn or dryness.
Oxyfresh Fresh Breath Lemon Mint Mouthwash Is Perfect For:
- Rinsing pre- and post-treatment
- Irrigation of pericoronitis
- In tanks of chairside ultrasonic scaling device
- Subgingival irrigation following scaling, root planning and/or laser treatment
- At-home patient care
Order Oxyfresh Lemon Mint Mouthwash today and bring greater peace of mind to your staff and a better chairside experience to your patients. Win-win!
