Removal of salivary stones with the aid of a lithotriptor

The feasibility of removal of salivary calculi with the aid of high energy shock waves was investigated. The postulation was, that salivary stones can be fragmented and no harm will be done to the surrounding tissues. An in vitro experiment was done with a lithotriptor to test the effect on a salivary stone and an extracted upper molar containing an amalgam restoration. Also investigated was whether a patient can be positioned in a prone position on the lithotriptor. In the in vitro experiment, the salivary stone was fragmented very quickly, but the amalgam restoration also fragmented. The patient could be positioned in the correct position on the lithotriptor, but because of the expected damage to the dentition, the experiment was not carried out on the patient.