The main reason is that none of the tips with proprietary adapters have an inner core with a stem extension that is designed to fit snugly through an O-Ring that ensures air and water separation. Without that extension, their tips must have a perfect "friction" fit center over the water channel from the syringe. It is almost impossible to have that secure fit without the stem and an O-Ring. Our tip is designed to fit into a syringe (A-dec^® or DCI^®) the way the syringe was manufactured - just like a metal tip.

Two primary factors.

1. Single-use (disposable) means new patient, new procedure, new tip. Since there is zero accumulated debris inside a new Crystal Tip^®, you will experience very consistent spray characteristics. Metal tips degrade in performance very quickly due to re-processing between patients, and become unpredictable the longer in use.

2. Crystal Tip^® can be bent during a procedure to create unique angles and shapes that improve delivery without affecting the quality of the spray. Most dental professionals find this unique feature highly advantageous.

Often imitated, never duplicated. Crystal Tip's^® Quad Air Core design creates four perfectly formed air chambers (or lumen) surrounding a single water lumen through the entire length of the air water syringe tip. Air spray is focused for fastest drying times, and when combined with water spray the ultimate atomization is achieved. Many other tips on the market suffer from small defects and malformed lumens which cause leaks, drips, moisture problems, and inconsistent spray characteristics.

Metal tips cost money as well. Typically $5 to $7 each. There is a cost associated with the sterilization procedures as well, and that cost rises as you reduce other metal instruments in favor of disposables. Staff time, equipment costs, materials used in the process. Almost every office reports that metal tips often get flushed down sink drains and thrown in the trash with other waste. If your new metal tip that has only been used twice is lost, that's an expensive disposable tip. Metal tips become clogged with debris and lose their effectiveness. So, if you amortize all those costs over the average life of your metal tip, the cost difference for disposables is maybe a few pennies!

It's really quite simple. If you have 1,000 of the other guy's tips in your office, you will not make the switch until you use those up. And then we are - as they say - out of sight, out of mind - and you will likely wind up re-ordering their tips again. So we are investing in you by giving you an exchange of tips right away, so you don't have to wait. Although this certainly has a cost to us up front, the much more important thing is that we'll have you as a satisfied customer for years. It's worth an investment that pays off as you be become a Crystal Tip^® convert!

Other than they are significantly prettier than any other air water syringe tip, and are "FUN" for your staff and patients - no. Just want to brighten up your day!

Crystal Tip^® can fit almost any air/water syringe in the world. We've got you covered! Sometimes a free adapter is required, but in many cases our tip will fit your syringe without an adapter. If you're converting from a different disposable tip such as Sani-Tip^®, Seal-Tight^®, Pro-Tip^®, or RisKontrol^® then you will definitely need an adapter. Please see the ID Your Syringe section of our website to determine your specific needs.

No. Our tip has a two-piece construction giving the stem more strength. Other tips are single-piece injection molded, making the stem very weak.

Crystal Tip^® has been around for over 20 years. We are now the most copied disposable tip in the world.

If your equipment is in good operating order, we guarantee 100% air/water separation. Crystal Tip's O-Ring tip-lock groove secures the tip into the syringe. The inner core seats perfectly into your syringe because it was designed to replace metal tips in standard dental syringes. However, 99% of all leakage issues are the result of worn O-Rings, improper installation of the tip, or from trying to insert the tip into a proprietary adapter.

We agree it is wise to be suspicious of cheap imports. There have been recent product scares with tainted dog food, infant formula, and other dangerous goods entering the marketplace. We're very proud to say that we've been making Crystal Tip^® in California for over 20 years. Made in the USA using only virgin FDA-Approved medical grade plastic while adhering to strict Good Manufacturing Practices.

Yes! If you're unable to purchase Crystal Tip^® from your favorite dealer, then we are happy to service you directly. You can place an order through the website, send us an email, or give us a call to discuss your needs.

We want you to be 100% satisfied with our products. You can request a free sample of air/water syringe tips plus an adapter (if required) by submitting a Sample Request under the Switch tab. Before sending your request for samples, please take a moment to verify your current syringe set-up using the simple ID Your Syringe interface we created also under the Switch tab. You can always give us a call for assistance or even send us a photo of your current syringe set-up for easy identification.

Air/water syringe has not been properly maintained: Faulty o-rings, springs, and other parts inside your syringe will certainly cause problems unrelated to the tip being used. The good news is that we help our customers maintain their syringes by providing the most essential service items for your device.

Incomplete insertion of air/water syringe tip: To guarantee instant dry air, the tip must be pushed in all the way.

Improper insertion / removal of tip: Push the tip straight in, and pull the tip straight out. A slight rotation of the tip while being inserted / removed helps it go in and out smoothly.

Adapter required: You have a syringe set-up that requires an adapter from us. If the right connection hardware isn't there, then Crystal Tip^® will not work properly. We can help you determine the correct adapter, and also provide technical assistance to ensure it is installed correctly.

We love our dealers! As a Crystal Tip^® user, you qualify for the free support, special programs, and the many extras we do when you purchase through one of our Authorized Distributors. Please send us proof of purchase via fax or email so that you are properly tagged in our system, and we can easily find your information when the need arises. If you ever experience difficulty regarding our products when talking to a dealer, then please let us know so we can help resolve any issues.

Yes. Crystal Tip^® has recently launched the world's first compostable air/water tips. To see more, please go to www.naturestip.com