title: A comparison of two prophylaxis angles: disposable and autoclavable.
abstract: In a clinical trial, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of stain, plaque and debris removal, as well as patient and hygienist acceptance, of the disposable prophylaxis angle vs. the autoclavable prophylaxis angle. Thirty patients received a dental prophylaxis by hygienists for up to 45 minutes. A clinician performed blinded pre- and post-prophylaxis evaluations for stain, plaque and debris. A matched pairs t-test determined significant differences (P < .05) between groups. Significantly less stain, plaque and debris remained following use of the disposable vs. the autoclavable angle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Hygiene, University of Maryland at Baltimore 21201-1586, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Blank
mesh_terms: D003748:Dental Equipment; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D013242:Sterilization; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000628:therapy