Catapult Education Product Review

Kettenbach Profisil

A Comfortable, Patient-Friendly Way to Deal With the Gray Areas

This profession is full of gray areas. In the mouth, and (literally) in the radiographs, we are asked to make a distinction between perfectly healthy, fully mineralized, intact enamel and cavitated enamel requiring restorative intervention. While there are times where these distinctions are easy, we all must admit that there are several clinical occasions that we encounter daily where the surface of a tooth lies somewhere in the middle. 

Let's take, for example, the following:

  • White spot lesions

  • Stained margins around an old composite or crown

  • A patient with a high-acid oral environment

  • Radiographic graying of the enamel

  • A patient with a high sugar diet

  • Radiographic decayed enamel that doesn't extend to the dentin

While there are several practical clinical strategies to handle situations like the ones above, perhaps none is more accepted and well researched than regular topical application of a fluoride varnish. Several randomized controlled trials have supported and maintained the idea that regular application of fluoride varnish is an incredibly cost-effective and successful strategy to prevent the incidence or progression of decay, especially in high-risk populations.

Twenty years ago, the fluoride application that was most common consisted of foam trays with a fluoride gel, intended to bathe the teeth in fluoride for approximately 5 minutes. Patients were told not to eat for several hours after the appointment due to the toxicity of  fluoride when consumed. Most patients and practitioners found this to be a cumbersome and messy treatment modality.

It was replaced in the past decade with the use of fluoride varnish, painted onto the teeth. This painted-on substance forms a sticky covering of the teeth and quickly hardens when exposed to saliva, which effectively delivers fluoride onto the enamel. Patients are allowed to eat immediately afterward, but in order to maintain effectiveness, it is required that they not brush off the material

for several hours. This was thought to be a superior alternative for most practitioners. The biggest drawback was the sticky, waxy feeling that sadly made the teeth feel less “clean” even though they just had a professional cleaning completed.

Kettenbach Profisil

Figure 1

We asked a 21-year-old female
patient whether we could experiment with 2
competing products. She has been a regular
patient at our practice for several years and has
regularly agreed to have topical fluoride varnish
applied to her teeth at every recall prophy
appointment.

Kettenbach Profisil

Figure 2

For the left side of her mouth,
we applied the same fluoride varnish that we
have been using for years.

Kettenbach Profisil

Figure 3

For the left side of her mouth,

we applied the same fluoride varnish that we

have been using for years.

Kettenbach Profisil

Figure 4

For the right side of her mouth,
we applied Profisil 5% fluoride varnish from
Kettenbach.

Kettenbach Profisil

Figure 5

After applying the different fluoride
varnishes to either side of her mouth, we asked
her to evaluate which side felt better. Her
responses:

“The right side doesn’t feel gritty at all.”

“I like the taste on the right.”
“The one on the left kind of smells.”
“I wish you just used the right side all over my
mouth.”

Kettenbach, a leader in the dental industry in providing high-performing materials in the fields of impression taking, cementation, and temporization, has recently introduced a new product, Profisil, a 5% sodium fluoride delivered in a mucosa-friendly, pleasantly flavored dimethicone gel. In contrast to other topical fluoride options, this particular product is free of colophony (rosin). As a result, this varnish is said to eliminate that uncomfortable, sticky feeling on the teeth post cleaning.


Profisil was given to 15 members of the Catapult Education product review team, who were asked to use this new fluoride varnish in typical clinical scenarios and compare the patient experience with that of their original fluoride varnish. The results are below. Almost all the Catapult reviewers used this product on 10 or more patients. Several indicated that they used the product on themselves and

on their dental teams. As a result, many had the opportunity to test the product in a variety of clinical scenarios and oral environments.

Areas of evaluation and results are as follows:

Overall Handling

73% Reported Excellent
13% Very Good

Viscosity

60% Reported Excellent
20% Very Good

Ease of Application

80% Reported Excellent
6% Very Good

Ability to Apply to Dry Teeth

73% Reported Excellent
6% Very Good

Ability to Apply to Moist Teeth

73% Reported Excellent
6% Very Good

Volume of Material in the Pack

73% Reported Excellent
13% Very Good

The patient reaction to the varnish was 64% excellent and 21% very good, with 1 evaluator commenting, “perfect balance of taste and stickiness. Very well received by all.” Another commented, â€śBerry flavor is wonderful!" Zero percent of survey respondents reported

that there were any adverse effects of the topical application. When asked to compare the Profisil product with what these clinicians were already using, almost every evaluator reported that this material was either similar or superior, with most remarking that the material is simply more comfortable, is less sticky, and tastes better. Of the survey respondents, 85% would recommend Profisil to a colleague and 70% intend to immediately incorporate this product into their practice.

Why Clinicians Love Profisil

Kettenbach USA’s new Profisil Fluoride Varnish is described as a new dimension of varnish gel that contains 5% sodium fluoride in a mucosa-friendly, pleasantly flavored dimethicone gel. This formula does not contain ethyl alcohol or colophony (rosin), which means the potential of soft tissue irritation or rosin-based allergies is reduced, according to the company. The product features a number of benefits for both the clinician and the patient, and it is suitable for most ages because it is ethyl alcohol free.

Benefits for the dental professional include the following:
  • Each single-dose blister covers all affected teeth in both arches
  • Migrates to difficult-to-access areas
  • No need for prophylactic cleaning before use
  • No drying of teeth necessary prior to application
  • The product has a lubricious, non-clumping formula
  • There is no need to replace gummy brushes

Catapult Vote of Confidence

Congratulations: Kettenbach Profisil

I had the opportunity to try this product myself, using it on my team, my patients, my children, and myself. The positive response was consistent and overwhelming. The berry flavor truly was delightful, and there was a very noticeable decrease in the sticky feeling. I must agree with the majority of Catapult reviewers and am happy to see this product achieving the Catapult Vote of Confidence™. Congratulations!
Write your awesome label here.
CATAPULT VOTE OF CONFIDENCE WINNER

Learn More about Kettenbach Products for Your Patients

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