Dental Cleanings using ultrasonic scalers has helped many dentists and dental hygienists so the goals for cleaning your teeth through non-surgical periodontal debridement therapy to prevent and/or treat gum disease. Cleaning to remove hard deposits accumulated on teeth is generally known as scaling. Back in the day, hand scaling instruments produced significantly smoother root surfaces compared to ultrasonic or power scaling, but there was no real evidence that it reduced inflammation, a primary goal of periodontal therapy.
These instruments use the energy of ultrasonic vibration to crush and remove hard, calcified deposits of calculus. They also create shockwaves that disrupt bacterial cells. Use of these tools includes washing and flushing the pockets and any exposed root surfaces with water.
They are as effective as manual instruments for calculus removal in shallow gum pockets and significantly more effective in pockets greater than 4mm. They are very effective in removing calculus from root surfaces and from within periodontal pockets. Their small tips can penetrate deeper into periodontal pockets than manual instruments and are more comfortable to experience, and they are more effective for cleaning difficult nooks and crannies. Coolant sprays flush the area and remove bacteria and their by-products. They require less time than manual instruments.
A contaminated mist may form so that the hygienist needs to wear protective equipment. The vibration of the ultrasonic instruments may make it difficult to feel if the root surface is completely smooth and free of calculus. Power scalers affect some heart pacemakers.
At Awesome Dentistry we use both techniques of cleaning, hand-held instruments, along with the ultrasonic scaler to provide a healthy smile for all our patients.
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