Slim scaler tip design maintains healthy tooth substance, Finds study

Researchers have recently found out that slim scaler tip design causes less tooth substance loss compared to a wider scaler tip design, as published in the BMC Oral Health Journal.

The influence of scaler tip design on root surface roughness, tooth substance loss and patients' pain perception is investigated.

Hence, Nur Ayman Abdul Hayei and colleagues from the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia conducted the present study to assess the influence of scaler tip design on root surface roughness, tooth substance loss and patients' pain perception.

All sectioned samples for tooth surface roughness (n = 20) and tooth substance loss (n = 46) analyses were measured and compared using a 3D surface texture analyser and scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively, at baseline and following scaling.

The pain perception was analyzed through a split mouth study design which included a total of 30 participants with gingivitis and/or mild chronic periodontitis; treated with supra-gingival scaling from teeth #13 to #23.

Subjects were randomised to group A or group B. Group A was treated first with PS scaler tips, whereas group B was treated first with conventional scaler tips. Pain perception was recorded using the visual analogue scale (VAS).

The following findings were highlighted-

a. Both scaler tips caused significant reduction in root substance roughness after scaling (p < 0.05), but no significant difference between the two scaler tips (p > 0.05) was observed.

b. The PS scaler tip caused statistically significantly less root substance loss (p < 0.05) when the initial thickness of the tooth was < 1000 µm.

c. The participants reported significantly lesser pain score during scaling using the PS scaler tip (median: 3) than when using the conventional scaler tip (median: 5) (p < 0.05).

Therefore, the authors concluded that "using a slim scaler tip design causes less tooth substance loss compared to a wider scaler tip design. In the clinical study, less pain was observed compared than a wide (conventional) scaler tip design."