title: Scaling and root planing: hand versus power-driven instruments.
abstract: Scaling and root planing (S&RP) are regarded as the main modalities for treating periodontal disease. The goal of these treatments is to arrest the disease process, maintain a healthy periodontium and preserve the dentition. As prevention becomes a larger component of everyday dental practice, dentists are performing S&RP more often as part of their periodontal maintenance programs. Therefore, it is essential for dentists to know the latest S&RP techniques and methods. This paper reviews the current knowledge and experiences related to mechanical non-surgical periodontal therapy and focuses on the types of S&RP instruments that are available, their advantages and disadvantages, their efficacy in debridement, and their effects on the hard tissues of the oral cavity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Salloum
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stakiw
mesh_terms: D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D003754:Dental High-Speed Equipment; D003762:Dental Instruments; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D016745:Root Planing / Q000295:instrumentation; D013010:Sonication / Q000295:instrumentation; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation