Prophylaxis prophy cups are used in combination with tooth polishing pastes to polish teeth. Polishing with prophy cups ensures smooth tooth surfaces at the end of prophylaxis treatment and thus a pleasant mouthfeel for patients. Polishing with prophy cups removes plaque from teeth.

For patients, the aesthetic factor is often a great added value as well. After all, tooth polishing with appropriate polishing saucers and prophylaxis polish pastes removes stains on teeth that are caused by food and drink like coffee or tea.

The positive effect on the mouthfeel of treated patients ideally results in increased motivation for oral hygiene at home.

Prophy polishing cups and polishing brushes are available with various connection types and in different shapes, materials, and degrees of firmness. For example, the clip-on latch-type (RA) prophy cups are inserted into the green prophy angle. Screw-type prophy cups are also available. These are rubber cups or polishing brushes with a small screw which screws into a special polishing prophy angle.

So-called snap-on polishers are also available; they consist only of the rubber cups or only of the brush attachment, which likewise are attached to special polishing prophy angles.

A good prophy polishing cup should not be too large to reach places that are difficult to access, e.g., nested anterior teeth.

The degree of firmness of the prophylaxis polisher used should be adapted to the respective patient’s needs.

A few extra features like external ribs on the prophy cup make the approximal spaces and the sulcus are easier to reach, allowing you to achieve a better polishing result. In the process, the prophy polishing paste is transported to the tooth, which keeps the polishing paste from splattering. The internal ridges of the rubber cups are another important factor for good prophylaxis polishers. These ridges ensure better adjustment to the tooth surface and decrease spatter. This reduces the incidence of infection for the practitioner.

Allergen-free material is very important, especially for patients with allergies. Many prophylaxis polishers contain latex. If you choose a latex-free prophy polishing cup (prophy cup), you won’t run any risks with patients who may have an unknown latex allergy. BPA (Bisphenol A) intolerance isn’t uncommon nowadays, either, which is why BPA-free prophy cups should be used.