Ultrasonic Scalers
Boise, ID
 Gum disease is a serious oral health issue. While the earliest stage is easily reversed with at home care, this stage is often missed. With the symptoms ignored, gum disease only gets worse. To stop the disease, and allow your gums to heal, professional treatment is required. At Water’s Edge Dental, we can treat your gum disease with scaling and root planing. For your scaling treatment, we employ the use of an ultrasonic scaler.
Gum disease starts as gingivitis. Symptoms – red, swollen gums that often bleed when you brush – often go unnoticed. Swollen gums pull away from your teeth, leaving pockets for bacteria to fall into. Below the gumline, bacteria attack your jawbone and structures that support your teeth. The bone and structures weaken. Your gums recede, your teeth become loose, and they may even fall out.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a procedure designed to clean the surfaces of your teeth and smooth the surfaces of your roots. Scaling removes tartar, or hardened plaque (which cannot be removed with a toothbrush), plaque, and bacteria from the visible surfaces of your teeth, as well as between them and below the gumline. Root planing smooths the surfaces of your roots to prevent new buildup. The area between your teeth and gums is washed with an antibacterial agent to kill any lingering bacteria.
What is an Ultrasonic Scaler?
Traditionally, scaling has been done with a metal instrument. While this tool can be effective, it can cause a significant amount of pain, and cause even more trauma to the gum tissue as it moves against your teeth. Over time, technological advances have led to the ultrasonic scaler. This tool relies on low-frequency soundwaves to vibrate against your teeth, effectively removing difficult tartar buildup.
There are two types of ultrasonic scaler. The magnetostrictive model operates at about 25,000 to 30,000 cycles per second, the head moving in a circular motion. The piezoelectric scaler moves at 28,000 to 36,000 cycles per second, while the tip vibrates back and forth against the tooth. Ultrasonic scalers are equipped with a built-in sprayer, which allows us to deliver the antibacterial rinse below your gums as we work.
Benefits of Ultrasonic Scaling
With the rise of ultrasonic scalers, we are better able to effectively, and completely, treat your gum disease and allow your gums to heal. The use of an ultrasonic scaler has numerous benefits:
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They are less painful than using a traditional scaling tool. Less trauma will be experienced by your already sensitive gum tissue.
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They are more effective at removing tartar buildup than a manual scraper.
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The spray tip allows us to clean your teeth of debris as we work. The sprayer can administer water or an antibacterial agent.
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Surface stains can be removed in the process, giving your teeth a whiter sheen.
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You spend less time in the dentist's chair. With a shorter appointment, less of your time is taken up. |
If you are suffering from gum disease, treatment is required. Call Water’s Edge Dental today to find out if the use of an ultrasonic scaler can help you to heal.
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