Joy to the world – the next generation of hand instruments

Dentistry catches up with Stancey Coughlan to find out more about Bliss – Acteon’s exciting new range of hand instrumentsDentistry catches up with Stancey Coughlan to find out more about Bliss – Acteon’s exciting new range of hand instruments.

With a new year comes new horizons. Acteon is hoping that for many professionals, one of those will be a move to its Bliss instrument range.

The new range is being billed as ‘the next generation of hand instruments’, coming off the back of two years of research and development guided throughout by the end users – dental professionals themselves.

A strong focus on comfort has seen that development process centre on ergonomics first and foremost. Although, it remains supported by solid construction principles. The instruments are made from the same high quality stainless steel used in cutlery, providing outstanding durability and hardness.

Appropriately enough, manufacturing takes place in the Thiers region of France. This area is synonymous with professional quality cutlery and knives for hundreds of years.

The Bliss range may be steeped in tradition but set against today’s backdrop – where conventional instrumentation is helping dental professionals minimise the aerosols they generate – it’s one designed with the future very much in mind.

Stancey Coughlan is the commercial director of Acteon UK. With a clinical background herself, Stancey shares the profession’s excitement over the new range. She spoke with Dentistry to explain why Bliss can bring a touch of joy to  clinicians from all walks of the profession.

Can you tell us more about the Bliss range?

Stancey Coughlan (SC): The Bliss range has been created by Acteon to offer lightweight, comfortable and stylish hand instruments, designed by the people who use them daily.

We started out with dental hygienists and dental therapists in mind but the beautiful design lends itself to all specialities. This includes diagnostics, periodontics, scaling, endodontics and restorative dentistry too.

What were you trying to achieve with the new range?

SC: We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. We know that everyone recognises the existing instrument shapes work well. Instead, we are bringing hand instrumentation into the 21st century in terms of design and comfort.

We have an amazing R&D department who have listened to the needs and wishes of the users and create a product that holds like a comfortable pen, with long lasting sharpness to reduce the grip and pressure needed to work effectively.

How did you approach the design of the new instruments?

SC: With months and months of discussions with a large group of clinicians who work with hand instruments on a daily basis.

The only way to create a hand instrument that meets the requirements of the user is to get the user to help design it!

What are the stand out features of the Bliss instruments?

SC: The instruments are extremely lightweight – they are only 15g. Their long-lasting sharpness means that it needs less pressure to hold the instrument. This reduces the risk of fatigue, strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. The soft touch silicone handle stops the fingers from slipping and offers a more controlled tactile movement.

These are striking-looking instruments – was that a conscious choice when developing them?

SC: Oh, definitely. We wanted to develop an instrument that was as beautiful to look at as it is to use!

How have early adopters responded to the new range?

SC: The feedback has been amazing. We’ve had some really positive comments about the comfort, ease of rotation, beautiful design and decreased treatment time.

Do hand scaling techniques still have a place in a world dominated by ultrasonics and air polishing?

SC: Absolutely! Hand instrumentation works hand in hand with ultrasonics and many clinicians use both on the same patient.

It is clear that there’s been a shift from ultrasonics to hand instrumentation due to COVID-19. Thanks to the amazing webinars and training available, the confidence around hand instrumentation techniques and effectiveness has increased.

At Acteon we recognise that risk assessing the patient and choosing a treatment option that suits their needs is key to achieving successful results. We can now offer beautiful hand instruments to complement our ultrasonic and air polishing devices.

How can dental professionals find out more about them?

SC: To see or try our Bliss range, contact our UK office on 0800 038 9840 option 1. 


For more information visit www.acteongroup.com/uk-en/ or call 0800 038 9840

This article first appeared in Dentistry magazine.

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