I Use That: Mr. Thirsty One-Step from Zirc

Earlier this year, Dr. Alan Young decided to make the switch to Mr. Thirsty One-Step from Zirc. He saw the product at the CDA meeting in Anaheim, California and knew it was something he wanted to incorporate into his periodontal practice in Garden Grove, California.

Before he found Mr. Thirsty One-Step, Dr. Young used an isolation device that required a proprietary hose and came as sterilizable units that were actually pretty difficult to sterilize--two challenges he doesn’t have to worry about with Mr. Thirsty One-Step. This is a disposable, hands-free isolation device that requires no maintenance and can be used with his existing hosing and HVE system.

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What Dr. Young has to say about Mr. Thirsty One-Step

This device keeps the field dry without additional suction and just does a good job. The mouth block helps patients maintain their position and can be adjusted--which is one of the best things about Mr. Thirsty One-Step. You’re basically using one unit for each patient, so if you need to adjust it you can. It’s disposable, so you’re just going to throw it away any way. I’d also have to throw the other unit away if I made adjustments, but that unit wasn’t disposable.

Mr. Thirsty offers tongue retraction, cheek retraction and suction, all in one unit, so you’re not pulling on the patient’s cheek as much. It’s more of a gentle motion. The bite block gives you access, so you don’t need to worry about patients closing and it offers constant suction. Even with saliva ejectors you can miss and have to adjust. So it’s inexpensive, disposable and uses your existing hose and equipment.

How it benefits his team members

Mr. Thirsty One-Step makes you more efficient and, if used in the right way, it can free up the assistant’s job to suction or to retract. Mr. Thirsty eliminates that because it does the retraction and the vacuuming for you. My assistant likes it because if I’m using it, she doesn’t have to do half the things I usually need her to do. There’s always something that can be done in the dental office, and this frees up the assistant for other tasks.

This product also offers a big benefit for hygienists. This is a wonderful product for them. Most hygienists don’t have an assistant, so Mr. Thirsty One-Step makes their job easier. They have visibility. They have suction. They can use it for root planing and don’t have to keep asking the patient to stay open.

His favorite features

Cost is the main benefit, and I also like the fact that it’s disposable. Another big selling point is the ability to use existing high-speed tubing, which wasn’t the case with the product I used before. It’s a really good, inexpensive, reliable aid that frees up your assistant and gives you access and a clean field.  

More on the Mr. Thirsty One-Step

This device retracts, isolates and evacuates while providing an unobstructed field, creating the ideal intraoral work environment. Hands-free isolation means you don’t need to stop repeatedly to use the saliva ejector. With the time savings, users have the freedom to perform additional tasks, increasing efficiency and productivity. Mr. Thirsty One-Step has two sizes and is 100-percent disposable, eliminating any post-procedure processing. Mr. Thirsty One-Step acts as a shield to the airway. The bite block allows the jaw to rest while keeping the mouth open.