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Laurence Bohan
Content Writer
Laurence Bohan
Content Writer

Laurence is a copywriter and trained journalist. His passion is creating insightful and educational content for dental professionals of every level. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sport, quizzing and spending time with his family.

What is prophy paste used for?

Prophy paste is a type of dental paste containing mild abrasives. It is used for polishing teeth and removing plaque, calculus and staining. It is also used to prevent future dental caries. Prophy paste is short for prophylaxis paste. Prophylaxis is the term used to describe treatment given or action taken to prevent disease. Professional tooth polishing with prophy paste is carried out by a dental hygienist or general dentist, typically at the end of a scale and polish appointment.

How to use prophy paste

Prophy paste traditionally comes in single-use cups or multi-dose tubs or tubes. The paste is applied to a rubber cup attached to a dental handpiece called a prophy angle. The cup is then rotated at slow speed as the paste is spread over the crown of the tooth to remove surface plaque and stains. Screw-in prophy brushes are often preferred when polishing and cleaning children’s teeth.

An alternative material used to achieve similar outcomes to prophy paste is air polishing power. This is applied with the use of an air polishing unit.

What are the ingredients of prophy paste?

Prophy pastes are made up of a mixture of binders, humectant, colouring agents, preservatives, fluoride, flavourings and abrasive material. Either chalk, also called whiting or calcium carbonate, or pumice is used as the abrasive in most dental prophy pastes.

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What are the different types of prophy paste?

Prophy pastes are categorised primarily by their abrasive grades. These are course, medium and fine.

  • Coarse: The most abrasive prophy paste. Used for the removal of plaque and excessive staining.
  • Medium: Medium grit is used for the removal of plaque and suitable for most patients.
  • Fine: The least abrasive prophy paste. Used for polishing and removal of light plaque.

Fine prophy paste has a smoother feel to coarse prophy paste which has a grittier texture. Fine paste or a mixture of fine and medium paste is often preferred for children.

Properties to look for in a prophy paste

  • Non-splatter formula: A good prophy paste stays in the cup without splatter to minimise mess. This quality is often referred to as thixotropic.
  • Pleasing taste & smell: Avoid pastes that leave a medicine-like aftertaste. Most prophy pastes are now available in a variety of flavours and smells that are more widely accepted by patients.
  • Easy to rinse off: Finding a prophy paste that rinses easily off the teeth can reduce mess, shorten chairtime and keep the patient happy.
  • Gluten-free: An increasingly important factor, opting for a paste that doesn’t contain gluten can help accommodate for the 8.5 million or so people in the UK following a gluten-free diet.
  • Compatibility: Prophy pastes should be safe to use on composites and veneers, as well as natural teeth.
  • Price: Prophy paste remains one of the most used materials in the practice, so it is worth shopping around on price to find a quality product that offers long-term savings.
  • Warranties: Many pastes might claim to be easy to rinse and non-splatter, but you won’t truly know until you’ve tried it yourself. Look out for what guarantees a brand can offer for peace of mind.
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