Gingi-Pak, a division of Camarillo, CA-based Belport Co., can be assured of a two-year shelf life on packages of its dental retraction cords thanks partly to Sorb-It® desiccant canisters from Süd-Chemie (Belen, NM).
Used by dental professionals to deflect gingival tissue from around the teeth, Gingi-Pak’s retraction cords are sensitive to moisture, which can compromise their effectiveness. The company minimizes product exposure to moisture by packing it in a HDPE container that has a cap with a hinged lid over a cord cutter, much like a typical package of dental floss. Unlike competitive products that require cap removal to pull out a length of cord and cut it with a scissors, the Gingi-Pak cap is never removed. The dentist simply pulls out the length of cord desired, cuts it with the built-in cord cutter, and quickly recloses the hinged lid.
Added moisture protection comes from the Sorb-It desiccant canisters, which contain silica gel to effectively adsorb moisture. Inserted semiautomatically into a bottle, the desiccant stays in place for the life of the package.
Orlando Mota, quality assurance and operations manager at Gingi-Pak, appreciates the process improvement gained since the desiccants entered the picture about 18 months ago. He’s especially pleased at the consistent quality in canister composition.
“We never have to deal with desiccant canisters falling apart or popping open,” says Mota. “That type of consistent quality from our packaging materials is definitely a plus during production.” —PR
