Pain during prophylaxis treatment elicited by two power-driven instruments.
BACKGROUND
Sonic scalers have an elliptical and piezoceramic ultrasonic scalers a linear oscillation pattern. Thus, a sonic scaler "hammers" the tooth surface, irrespective of its alignment to the tooth, whereas a piezoceramic ultrasonic scaler may oscillate parallel to the tooth surface and gently remove calculus if the alignment is correct. The aim of this study was to measure pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) during removal of supragingival calculus on mandibular incisors with a sonic or an ultrasonic scaler.


METHODS
Seventy-four periodontally healthy subjects with supragingival calculus on the mandibular incisors were treated with both a sonic and a piezoceramic ultrasonic scaler in a split-mouth design. The sequence of instrument application and allocation of instruments to jaw side were randomized. Patient comfort was assessed with a VAS after treatment.


RESULTS
The VAS results did not show any difference between the two instrumentation modalities.


CONCLUSIONS
For calculus removal during prophylaxis the type of power-driven instrument does not seem to have an impact on perceived pain. This means that the oscillation pattern does not influence the pain experience.
Kocher
T
T
Dental School, University of Greifswald, Germany. kocher@uni-greifswald.de
Rodemerk
B
B
Fanghänel
J
J
Meissner
G
G
D000328:Adult; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000628:therapy; D003754:Dental High-Speed Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000209:etiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013010:Sonication / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation