Pros:
Sensitivity reduction
Therapeutic benefits of NovaMin (calcium and phosphate)
Therapeutic benefits of tubule occlusion (desensitization)
Visibility (lack of dye)
Cons:
Ease of use (difficult to rinse)
Ten hygienists participated in this Dental Product Shopper evaluation of NUPRO NUSolutions. They rated such features as sensitivity reduction, stain removal, and importance of therapeutic benefits.
Sensitivity Reduction
Sensitivity reduction with NUPRO NUSolutions was rated as excellent to very good by 3 evaluators and as good by 7. Comments included “everyone likes it,” and “1 patient noticed a difference right away.” One hygienist said patients with sensitivity noticed “some initial sensitivity, then relief in 2 to 3 seconds.”
Stain-Removal Effectiveness
Stain removal with NUPRO NUSolutions was rated as excellent to very good by 8 evaluators and as fair by 2. Comments ranged from “didn’t seem very good compared to regular NUPRO” to “as effective or better than others” and “works well after scaling.” One hygienist said “it removed some of the heaviest tobacco stains.”
Ease of Use
NUPRO NUSolutions’ ease of use was rated as excellent to very good by 7 evaluators, as good by 2, and as fair by 1. Remarks ranged from “similar to most” to “easier/flowed better than grittier pastes” to “very adherent/almost sticky and didn’t spread easily.” One hygienist said it became easier “once I stopped overloading the cup and used less.” Two evaluators said it was “easy to rinse off,” 1 said “rinsing required lots of water,” and another said, “I sometimes had to wipe it with a 2 x 2.”
According to DENTSPLY, NovaMin reacts with water and bonds to the tooth surface, which creates the tubule occlusion on the teeth. This may leave a film on soft tissue. The manufacturer recommends leaving the excess material in place so that it has time to release more calcium and phosphate. Rinse normally, but do not rinse excessively to remove the white film left by the NovaMin in the prophy paste.
Grittiness and Splatter
Grittiness of NUPRO NUSolutions (compared to traditional prophy paste) was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators and as very good or good by 5. Remarks included “much less gritty; everyone likes it better,” “patients liked the smoothness/texture,” “patients didn’t get that gritty feeling,” and “the stainremoval formula was a little gritty but most patients didn’t complain.” Comments about splatter ranged from “very disappointed—splattered everywhere!” to “no splatter—I loved that feature.” One hygienist said it “didn’t splatter as much as regular paste, but was messy on patients’ lips.” Splatter was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators, as very good by 3, as good by 1, and as poor by 2.
Visibility (Due to Lack of Dye)
Comments about visibility with NUPRO NUSolutions, rated as excellent by 4 evaluators and as very good by 6, ranged from “didn’t affect visibility” to “definitely a plus” and “I like this better— visibility just as good as any other.” One hygienist said “great…really showed the improved luster.”
NovaMin and Tubule Occlusion: Importance of Therapeutic Benefits
When asked about the importance of the therapeutic benefits of NovaMin (calcium and phosphate) and tubule occlusion (desensitization) in NUPRO NUSolutions, 7 evaluators rated both features as excellent, and 3 rated them as very good or good.
Remarks included “need more time—not much difference yet,” “important to use the best available,” “makes sense to choose a paste with the remineralization benefit,” and “patients love the idea. An added bonus—helped calm teeth.” One evaluator said “the biggest selling point...gives patients a therapeutic reason for polishing.”
Overall Satisfaction
Overall satisfaction was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 4, as fair by 1, and as poor by 2. Six evaluators said they’d use NUPRO NUSolutions for all their patients, based on therapeutic benefits; the remaining 4 said they’d use it for 10%, 15%, 40%, and 80% of patients. One evaluator was “happy to offer patients almost immediate relief.”
