It performs as advertised by enabling clinicians to accomplish one-handed needle recapping. The HypoGrip Needle Recapper is rated Acceptable for use by the federal dental services. A study done at DIS a number of years ago published in DIS 28-19 identified several products that inhibited rust during steam sterilization. Unfortunately, due to its caustic nature and associated disposal problems, it is not commercially available today for use as a rust inhibitor. The other products, surgical milk and Credo-Clave, are still available.
Surgical milk is an oil that coats an instrument offering lubrication and rust inhibition.
Since oil and either water or salt do not mix, before dipping an instrument in surgical milk, the instrument should be completely dry and free of salt deposits. The only way to remove salt deposits is to have previously washed the instrument in soft, deionized or distilled water, then dry thoroughly. Large instrument washers like the MDT 7550 accomplish this by having a deionized water rinse cycle prior to instrument lubrication. The use of surgical milk should only be considered by clinics that have treated water available and are willing to rinse and dry the instruments prior to dipping in surgical milk. This chemical is potentially toxic and a skin irritant if used in too high a concentration.