Catapult Education Product Review

Slate
Electric Flosser

A New, Easy, Effective Way to Implement Flossing Into Your Daily Routine

The Slate Electric Flosser is a powerful device that has impressed evaluators and earned the Catapult vote of Confidence. [ by Lou Graham, DDS]

As a general dentist in practice for 40 years, I can say without hesitation that most patients do not floss daily. You can have the best hygienists and the finest education on flossing, yet far too many patients still do not consistently floss. Many floss
the day before they see the hygienist, or a few days after, but—much like a resolution for the new year—sticking to this daily commitment is easier said than done. Various studies provide differing statistics on the percentage of Americans who floss, but none present positive findings. This begs the questions, “Are patients flossing correctly?” and “What is holding them back from making it a daily practice?” With the current techniques and options for flossing, it is no wonder why many choose to simply brush and rinse.

Enter Slate, a game changer in the flossing world.

It was designed by Danny Snyder, DDS, whose intent was to revolutionize flossing and make it more enjoyable for everyone. He invented a powerful flossing device with 12,000 sonic vibrations/min, making flossing far easier and more likelyto become a daily habit. With its slim design, Slate goes beyond merely guiding users to floss correctly. Its design includes built-in silicon bristles, known as gum sweepers, for proximal gum stimulation. Additionally, on the backside of the flosser is a tongue scraper that helps remove bacteria, food debris, and dead cells. For orthodontic patients in brackets, Slate has created a specific insert, making it simple for those patients to properly floss—an orthodontist’s dream come true. As for my experience with Slate, I found that inserting the disposable heads is straightforward and easy. Each insert can last up to 2 weeks with a full dentition (the company recommends 1 per week), so 1 insert may last far longer with patients having fewer teeth. 

The technique is easy.

1
Insert the floss head between 2 teeth
2
Move vertically on each proximal surface
3
Proceed in a buccal-to-lingual direction to allow the gum sweeps to stimulate proximal tissues
4
Flip the handle over, scrap the dorsal surface of the tongue
5
Rinse!
You might be wondering whether I have always been a daily flosser, and the answer is no. Since discovering SLATE, I now incorporate flossing into my daily routine because it is so simple and straightforward, providing me with a much-improved overall experience compared with traditional flossing. In our practice, the doctors loved Slate, as did the majority of Catapult reviewing doctors. It was interesting to learn that some of the hygienists who reviewed the product felt it was a superior product overall but still liked the traditional method. On the other hand, patients, including my friends and family, found that they were all flossing and tongue scraping more often with the Slate Electric Flosser (Figures 1-2). 

Slate’s beta testers found that many patients had improved probings with less bleeding on probing, and this would be attributed to 3 factors:

  • daily usage
  • utilizing the correct flossing technique
  • gum stimulators (which allow you not only to massage the gingival but to create an additional path to remove plaque and debris)
[Fig. 1] The Slate Electric Flosser features floss that is woven by hundreds of strands designed to remove plaque.
[Fig. 2] The flosser also features a tongue scraper that can be used to clean bacteria off the tongue. It has 3 rows of rubber bristles designed to clean while still maintaining a comfortable experience.
[Fig. 3] Inserting the disposable heads is straight-forward and easy.
These same beta testers found that patients with dexterity issues improved their home care by implementing Slate into their normal daily oral hygiene routine. This is a key point, especially for geriatric patients. As we all have witnessed in our practices, the need for superior home care and prevention increases with this aging population. The Slate Electric Flosser, like water flossers, should become routine as recommendations from our hygiene teams.

Here are some key metrics from our Catapult evaluation:

Two-thirds of the evaluators gave this electric flosser the highest approval rating, with many commenting that they have already shifted to Slate
More than half of the evaluators noted Slate cleaned better interproximally than traditional floss
The group overall felt the retail pricing was appropriate at $79 (with 4 floss heads included)
The group felt the refill pricing at $25 for 20floss heads was very value oriented
Some felt the floss heads (Figure 3) did not
last as long as the company states, 7 to 10
days (I have found them to last 2 weeks)
The Slate Electric Flosser is powered by 2 AA batteries (lasting around 6 months) and the company’s team has plans for a rechargeable unit along with potentially offering a future model with multiple vibration settings. From using my own Slate device, I have found that the floss begins to break down after about 7 to 10 uses. The floss is woven by hundreds of strands and this construction works to remove plaque. Additionally, the floss has no wax, no toxins, no Teflon, and no polytetrafluoroethylene or polyfluoroalkyl substances. You might ask, what about cleaning beyond just rinsing? There are many cleansing products for aligners and nighttime appliances, and these can be used in the same manner if you so desire.

See What Evaluators are Saying

“This is such a winner for those that have
trouble (which is a lot) manipulating floss.”
Catapult Evaluator

“Cool concept, easy to learn.”

Catapult Evaluator
“I feel that it is doing a fantastic job cleaning interproximally.”
Catapult Evaluator
“The way it stimulates the gums...and it’s
easy to use.”
Catapult Evaluator
“EVERYTHING.”
Catapult Evaluator
“I love both the flosser and stimulator.”
Catapult Evaluator

Catapult Vote of Confidence

Congratulations: Slate Electric Flosser

Slate is a game changer in the world of flossing and oral care, and we are thrilled to have evaluated this product and given it the Catapult Vote of Confidence™.

Write your awesome label here.
CATAPULT VOTE OF CONFIDENCE WINNER

Learn More about the Slate Electric Flosser for Your Patients

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