We are proud to give you the most progressive, technologically advanced and thorough dental care here at PDC. Dentistry is always changing – new and old techniques are re evaluated and your care is customized just for you. This includes not only your visit with your dentist but also your continuing care/ cleaning visit with your hygienist.
If your hygienist determines that you would be a good candidate, she may recommend using an instrument that has been around for a while. It is called an ultrasonic cleaner and it is quite amazing. It uses sound waves to remove deposits (plaque, biofilm, tartar and stain) from the teeth.
The hand piece has a metal tip, similar to our regular scalers (scrapers) except that the tip is smooth, with no cutting edge. When the foot pedal is depressed by your hygienist, the tip of the ultrasonic vibrates. It vibrates thousands of times per second! Interestingly the patient cannot feel it moving, however it crushes tartar buildup and easily removes other deposits.
The ultrasonic is accompanied by a fine water spray. The water spray is there to cool the tip but its secondary use is that of “lavage” or rinsing the deposits away. We use the dental suction during the procedure to remove extra water.
Not only is the ultrasonic removing hard deposits and stain quickly and with absolutely no scraping, it removes biofilm thoroughly. Biofilm is the plaque that causes periodontal disease. The ultrasonic removes it easily below and above the gums for a very thorough cleaning. It is beneficial to patients with gum disease but it is also just as beneficial to those with healthy gums.
Ultrasonics have been around since the 1950’s and we have had them in the office for years. In the past, it was mostly used to treat gum disease however many, many recent studies are showing that they benefit almost all patients. This is why we are incorporating their use into our regular routine.
If your teeth that are generally very sensitive , if you have very little dental deposits, or if you simply prefer it – we may stick with traditional hand instrumentation. Each person is different and we customize your care according to your needs. We would love to answer any questions that you have and if you have any thoughts or concerns, definitely let us know! We are excited to share this updated treatment with you!
-Your friends at PDC