Hygienists Welcome ‘The Future’ of Prevention

Dental hygienists do all they can to promote oral health among their patients—both through education and a protocol of preventive procedures. However, a majority of patients still present with early-stage caries, and despite their best efforts, dental teams have been able to do little more than monitor the caries for progression and possible restorative treatment.

“What if you could do something?” asked Crystal Spring, RDH, executive director of Smiles Across Montana. “Rather than just sit and hope for the best, if you could turn this around for the patient, wouldn’t you want to do that?”

Strengthening Beyond the Surface

The medical management of caries has long been an elusive goal. Because enamel cannot heal itself, nonsurgical caries management options to date have been focused on remineralizing and hardening surfaces, sometimes with the esthetic drawback of staining.

Today, however, Spring has another tool in her kit for such patients: Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus. Using Guided Enamel Remineralization, Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus helps minerals diffuse into the surface of early carious lesions—seen on smooth tooth surfaces as white spots—and enables salivary calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions to begin remineralization. Even better, the procedure is quick, painless, and noninvasive, and the treatment does not stain.

“Patients are super happy, they can’t believe it,” Spring noted. “They are so thankful for this noninvasive treatment.”

First-Line Treatment for Early Caries

“Excited” is how Sarah Eller, RDH, IPDH, describes her patients’ reaction to Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus. Her practice, Wally Health in New York City, tested the product with the hope of identifying something that could help prevent the need for more invasive and costly restorative treatment of caries, and they were not disappointed. While it is still early in the game, Eller, who is head of clinical operations, said the team has already seen “great success” in the patients they have seen return after being treated with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus.

“To be minimally invasive, this is our first line of recommended treatment for incipient carious lesions that are not cavitated,” she said. “It is applicable to all tooth surfaces, including buccal and labial surfaces, where these demineralized areas are clinically visible as white spots. Adopting minimally invasive, early interception methods is the future of dentistry and in the best interest of our patients.”

Describing the patient conversation, Eller said the team will share the finding of early decay with the patient, just as was done in the past. However, instead of agreeing to watch the lesion and advising the patient to brush and floss more at home, they offer the patient a treatment for remineralizing the lesion with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus.

“Patients are very receptive to knowing there is a possible way to avoid a dental filling in the future,” she shared. “I’d say 65% to 75% of patients who qualify for treatment accept.” Spring emphasized the need for patient education to make treatment successful. “It is really important to tell patients that we have this amazing solution, but it can only work right now. We tell them, ‘We have the opportunity now to intervene at an early stage. If [the lesion] gets any worse, at some stage drilling may be needed,’” she said. “We also stress that they should have excellent home care after this.”

Growing Productivity and Preventive Care

Adopting a new product can sometimes create challenges for a dental practice. However, Spring believes dental teams will find that patients enthusiastically accept treatment with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus.

“Do I think this will help make dental practices’ hygiene sessions more productive? 100%,” she said, noting that the product enables hygienists—and not just dentists—to treat caries. “I’m just so thankful for products like these, because I can do something instead of just watching and waiting. I can actually do something to help this patient.”

Eller is equally enthusiastic about the future with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus.

“We know that every time a tooth is prepped and restored, it starts the clock for ongoing maintenance,” she said. Her hope is for that process of lifelong restorative maintenance to be prevented, thanks to innovative solutions such as Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus.

“I think everyone who truly believes in prevention should implement this product,” she concluded.