Stimmie

The original premium, packable, reusable toothpick.

As more patients seek easier ways to manage gum disease and plaque control, it’s essential to expand your clinical expertise and practice offerings to include a variety of oral care solutions. 

Dental Hygienist Innovates As A Result of Patient Feedback

Steph Nightingale, RDH

Stimmie founder Steph Nightingale is an experienced dental hygienist who excels in managing complex periodontal cases and restoring oral health with a “people-first” approach. Like many hygienists, she was all too familiar with patients expressing disdain for flossing. Instead of lecturing them on its importance, which rarely proved effective, she would often reach for the utilitarian rubber tip to demonstrate the effects of plaque and inflamed tissues with her patients. Their reactions to this mystery tool always sparked conversation; it was an easy to use, easy to clean and painless solution. “It’s everything these patients do in between their intervals that truly matters.” Later, when Nightingale had her own grafting surgery, she kept a gum stimulator with her on-the-go for simpler post-meal tooth picking. It was then that she realized: a better, streamlined alternative to the average wooden or plastic toothpick was yet to be invented. Nightingale was determined to help people with plaque control, anywhere, anytime. Enter stimmie.

When to recommend a stimmie?

• When patients are non-compliant with other oral care aids
• When interdental aids are not enough
• When patients can use it as a post-operative solution to surgical procedures
• Patients with poor dexterity and difficulty flossing
• Kids and adults with orthodontic appliances
  
  

Who benefits from gum stimulation? Patients with a clinical presence of:

• Copious biofilm around the gingival margins
• Periodontal pockets on the buccal, lingual and palatal aspects
• Gingival hyperplasia and hypertrophy
• Furcations
• Pericoronitis
• Severe crowding
• Open contacts
• Gingival Recession

Advice for use & care:

• Remove the cap and place pads of fingers on handle depressions.
• For stimulation on the top teeth, gently place the tip between the teeth, angle the rubber up towards the gums, press, release, and repeat.
• For stimulation on the bottom teeth, gently place the tip between the teeth, angle the rubber down towards the gums, press, release, and repeat.
• When removing food and plaque from between the teeth and under the gums, simply wipe the tip or rinse under water. Re-capping is optional.

Directions:   

• To remove food, simply remove the cap and glide between teeth. To remove plaque, sweep under gums. To stimulate gums, gently press and massage.

The Stimmie Recommendation:

• Oral health products and professionals alike will advise replacing all reusable oral care items within three months.