Pain during prophylaxis treatment elicited by two power-driven instruments

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Hygiene

Background:

• Sonic scalers utilize elliptical oscillation, while piezoceramic ultrasonic scalers employ linear oscillation.
• The oscillation pattern may influence calculus removal efficiency and patient comfort.
• Understanding pain perception differences is crucial for optimizing dental prophylaxis procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain levels experienced by patients during supragingival calculus removal using sonic versus piezoceramic ultrasonic scalers.
• To evaluate the impact of different scaler oscillation patterns on patient-reported pain.

Main Methods:

• A split-mouth study design was used with 74 periodontally healthy subjects.
• Both sonic and piezoceramic ultrasonic scalers were applied to mandibular incisors for calculus removal.
• Pain was quantified using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) after treatment.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores was observed between the sonic and piezoceramic ultrasonic scaler groups.
• Patient comfort levels were comparable regardless of the scaler type used.

Conclusions:

• The type of power-driven instrument, specifically its oscillation pattern, does not appear to influence perceived pain during supragingival calculus removal.
• Clinicians can select either sonic or piezoceramic ultrasonic scalers for prophylaxis without anticipating differences in patient pain experience.