Surface of root cementum following air-polishing with bioactive hydroxyapatite (Ca and P mapping). A pilot study

Air-polishing is a well-known and common technique to remove plaque, tartar and different kind of stains from teeth, using abrasive materials. Commonly used cleaning powders contain Al (aluminium) which is still controversial in terms of its inertness and harmfulness for human body. Nowadays, new air-polishing materials, including biomaterials, are being introduced. In particular, biomaterials the structure of which imitates that of natural tissue are very promising materials of reparative and reconstructive features. The purpose of the study was to assess in vitro the influence of natural hydroxyapatite on cementum surface and to assess superficial qualitative distribution of such elements as calcium and phosphorus before and after air-polishing. Four teeth extracted for periodontal reasons were airpolished. Bioactive hydroxyapatite (prepared in the Cracow Institute of Technology) was a cleaning powder with particle size of up to 10 μm. Bioactive natural hydroxyapatite is a very effective cleaning powder, which removes efficiently tartar from cementum surface and does not cause any damage. The qualitative analysis of cementum images after air-polishing with natural hydroxyapatite showed that the cementum surface was fully saturated with such elements as calcium and phosphorus, which was not observed on control cementum images.