Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Bhawna Gautam, Afford2Smile, Lyndhurst, VIC
This stainless-steel cotton roll holder holds cotton in position in the patient’s mouth.
What’s good about it
The two prongs off the holder keep the cotton on either side of the arch which is useful in maintaining a dry field. It comes in adult and children’s sizes but I mostly use it with kids. Their tongues constantly like to play around and this holder gently keeps the tongue out of the way.
It’s a fairly large piece of equipment so I take the time to explain it to the kids before positioning it. I tell them it’s like a cotton pillow that sits around your teeth. Most children are totally fine with that.
I’ve been using this type of holder since my first job in a public clinic 15 years ago where I immediately recognised it as a very useful item. I also like that it’s made entirely of stainless steel so it can be placed in the autoclave after use.
I use this holder with most procedures, especially with my child patients. It’s a simple, well-designed item that does its job very well.
What’s not so good
When the cotton gets wet, you have to replace it to maintain a dry field. I find I have to change the cotton more frequently with adults. There’s no need to remove the bracket from the mouth; with a bit of tweaking the cotton rolls can be replaced easily. It’s also only designed for use with the lower arch.
