Better Visibility with the Hoopla Retractor
The other day, I had a patient scheduled with me for nonsurgical periodontal therapy. It had been many years since seeing a dentist, and they knew something was going on with their gingival since it regularly bled as they brushed their teeth. Even though the patient knew they needed care, being at the dentist and with a dental hygienist can be a nerve wracking experience. This patient was no different. They were nervous to be with me, nervous about getting an injection to be numb, and their anxious energy was filling the room. I don’t know about you, but I always feel a bit of heightened stress when the patient is very nervous. After explaining the injection, what it would feel like, and the possibility of feeling a “zing” feeling with the IA, I sat the patient back and started to retract the cheek. Even with the coaching, the prepping, and calming of the patient, their tongue had a mind of its own. This definitely added to the stress in the room, having a needle in the patient's mouth while trying to wrangle a tongue and explain to the patient to relax.
After several minutes of trying (and not getting very far), I needed reinforcements to help hold the tongue. Unfortunately, the dental assistants were busy right then, and I was on my own to complete the injection. So, I decided to try a retractor to hold the cheeks so I had a free hand to gently hold the tongue. And it totally worked! It was like having an extra hand there to see the injection site better, hold the patient, and have a smoother experience with this patient. I was definitely kicking myself after this experience that I didn’t grab the retractor sooner and save so much time and energy for both the patient and myself.
If you find that you’re in a procedure and need an extra hand, try retraction like the Hoopla from Zyris! They are easy to place and can be used for so many things we do during the day- from sealants, to air powder polishing, to injections. To learn more about the Hoopla, check out our latest video:
To learn more about the Hoopla and to find out how to get it into your office, please visit their website.
A huge thank you to Zyris for sharing our same goals of empowering clinicians to be their best with great products, and for supporting us at Hygiene Edge.
xoxo, Melia Lewis, RDH