Sock It! Oral Hydrogel Wound Dressing

Consultants’ Comments

• “Patients liked having something they could take home and apply topically.”
• “It does just what the manufacturer says it does.”
• “I love that it contains all-natural food products.”
• “The texture is slippery and lumpy.”
• “Syringe was a bit clumsy to use and included only one tip.”

Description

Sock It! Oral Hydrogel Wound Dressing is designed to manage pain from wounds and lesions in the mouth and help protect compromised tissues. According to the manufacturer, the gel establishes and maintains an optimal wound healing environment, and supplies important nutrients to cells involved in wound healing.  Sock It! relieves pain by adhering to the wound surface and forming a barrier, thus protecting the wound from contamination and irritation. As described by the manufacturer, the gel binds cations at the site of injury and inhibits their entry into nerve cells, preventing initiation of the pain impulse without causing the numb sensation characteristic of anesthetics. Sock It! usually adheres to tissues (and provides pain relief) for an average of 3-4 hours.  Sock It! is composed entirely of naturally occurring food ingredients, including a food preservative system. Sock It! is indicated for use on all types of wounds and lesions of the mouth, including injuries and ulcers of the oral mucosa, mouth sores, extraction sites, orthodontic irritation, denture sores, mucositis, and stomatitis. Sock It! is available in a box of 25 individually packaged, 10-g syringes, each with a tapered dispensing tip. Sock It! was evaluated by 23 consultants in over 165 clinical cases and received an 85% clinical rating.

Product Features

The natural, plant-based food ingredients in Sock It! appealed to patients and clinicians alike. This feature allows the gel to be applied with no limit on the number of uses per day. Sock It! is flavored with a small percentage of essential oils found in cinnamon, clove, oregano, and thyme. Patients found the gel easy to apply but did not care for the syringe delivery. The low viscosity allows the material to flow over and cover the entire area, forming a thin film. Sock It! can be sent home for patient use. For example, 48% of consultants provided the gel for use on denture sores. Consultants also reported using Sock It! on ulcers and injuries of the oral mucosa and on extraction sites. Patients found that Sock It! provided some immediate relief, but the effect was not long lasting. Eighty percent of consultants rated Sock It! equivalent or better than the products they usually provide patients for oral pain relief, 52% would switch and 80% would recommend Sock It! to their colleagues.