Nea Korpela explains how she won The Wand in a competition and outlines how it is improving her patients’ experience.
All dental professionals strive to make the patient experience more enjoyable. And, consequently, their own treatment easier to administer.
This was certainly the mindset of Nea Korpela, a hygienist who recently won The Wand computerised anaesthesia unit in a social media competition organised by Dental Sky. Here she explains how both she and her patients are benefitting from its use.
Firstly, congratulations on winning The Wand. How did that come about?
I was as surprised as anyone. I thought it an old cliché that: ‘You have to be in it, to win it’. But it’s so true.
I saw the competition pop up on the Instagram feed of a periodontist I was following, Reena Wadia. The competition entry was easy. All you had to do was like the @dentalsky and @reenawadia Instagram page, share the post and tag in two dental professionals.
The random winner selected was me!
What exactly is The Wand and what do you like most about it?
The Wand is an automated local anaesthetic dispersing device. It makes giving local anaesthetic more comfortable for myself and the patients.
You can fully control the speed of dispersing the LA with a foot pedal. Or let the machine ‘cruise’ whilst holding the needle handpiece like a pen.
This has helped me with more stability and comfort administering local anaesthesia to my patients.
Did you receive any training? What did this entail?
The practice had a one-hour face-to-face session with the lovely Kym from Dental Sky. We received both theory and hands-on training for our clinicians, during which we used The Wand on each other.
We went through the theory of all different types of LA administration with The Wand. As well as top tips on how to do this smoothly and pain-free.
Which team members will use The Wand and in what clinical scenarios?
Our dentist uses The Wand for his restorative work as single tooth anaesthesia. As well as ID blocks where needed. Whereas us dental hygienists use it mostly for buccal infiltrations for sub-gingival PMPR or where there is severe sensitivity.
Is it easy to master the techniques necessary to use The Wand? Do you have a mentor for any follow-up training?
Using The Wand more routinely has definitely increased my confidence in offering and giving local anaesthesia to my patients. It is now super easy to use.
I much prefer it to the traditional method, and my patients seem to think so too! Kym from Dental Sky is always there for us if we have any questions or issues. But so far, there have been none!
Are there any areas that you feel less confident in its use? If so, has further training been organised?
Giving ID blocks has always been a less known ground for me. I very rarely give them.
However, the initial training with Kym and The Wand gave me more confidence to do that.
What do you like most about The Wand?
The pencil-like grip of the needle handpiece and the overall ease of use. The audio helps to navigate how much anaesthesia you’re administrating on each area.
How have patients reacted to its use?
Patients have been very pleased. It adds to the confidence they feel in the treatments we provide.
Do you have any suggestions as to how to improve future models?
I feel bad for the remaining anaesthesia that’s thrown away. The Wand is designed to administer 1.8mL regardless of the adapter for 2.2mL cartridges.
For more information on The Wand, visit www.dentalsky.com/wand-dental.