The use of hygienic disposable prophy angles in professional dental cleaning is not yet as common in European dental practices as in the US, for example. There, so-called DPAs (Disposable Prophy Angles) were brought on the dental market by Young Dental in 1990.

As the name “disposable prophy angle” suggests, it is a single-use product that combines a prophy angle and a dental prophy cup in a single product. Used together with a prophylaxis paste, the disposable prophy angles removes plaque and staining from teeth and facilitates surface smoothing and biofilm management for the patient. Rotating polishing, i.e., polishing using a prophy angle with rotating prophylaxis cups or brushes, is often considered an important supplement to application with air-powder-water devices, as biofilm often remains on the teeth even after application.

DPAs are a comfortable and hygienic way to give the patient a thorough, clean surface polish. The professional and mechanical removal of tartar and plaque is considered an especially preventive precautionary measure to prevent gingivitis and, later, periodontitis and/or peri-implantitis.

Ideally, disposable prophy angles are designed to create optimal access, even for hard-to-reach areas in the mouth (such as tuberosities, molars, or line angles). A good disposable prophy angle is characterised by a slim design. This simultaneously improves the patient’s mouthfeel and increases user comfort for the practitioner.

The ribbing at the lower end of the disposable prophy angles creates improved grip for the user, preventing wrist fatigue. The angle of the polishing head can also affect comfort significantly during tooth polishing. A disposable prophy angle with a round and small prophy cup facilitates patient comfort and optimises the view for the practitioner during polishing.