Sharper Instruments, Smarter Innovation

As Karen Novak, BSDH, MA, describes it, plenty of misconceptions linger from the air polishers of the past. Many clinicians remember the large sodium bicarbonate particles that were often messy to work with and painful for patients to tolerate.

"With sodium bicarbonate, you had to stay far away from the gum tissue or you could cause damage," she explained. "This new type of air polishing should almost be called something else entirely because it is a completely different technology."

Disrupt Biofilm Like Never Before

The "new" air polishing Novak is referring to is the PWR Air, a therapeutic air polisher designed to disrupt biofilm at its source. Using an ultrafine glycine-based powder delivered through a continuous airflow, it removes sub- and supragingival stains, supports implant maintenance, and helps clear plaque and food debris from interproximal areas.

"Therapeutic air polishing can disrupt biofilm not only above the gumline but also 4 mm into a pocket without an attachment," Novak said. "When that slime layer is disrupted, it leaves the area clear so that we can actually explore and find the calculus better, which creates efficiency. We're disrupting something we've rarely been able to disrupt fully during any kind of preventive appointment."

"I would encourage PWR Air to be used on every patient," agreed Christine Fontana, RDH, MEd, "because you really are removing all the biofilm and endotoxins more effectively than with hand and power instrumentation."

Research agrees on clear benefits to disrupting biofilm with glycine powder air polishing. "It can start to remove the stain and biofilm in just that first sweep, and then when you go back to use your hand explorer, you're able to really detect calculus that is present," Fontana added. "After that, you can go in with power instrumentation or jump right to hand scaling, so it's customized to each patient."

Save Time Without Compromise

Using the PWR Air can save 8 to 12 minutes per procedure—time that can go toward helping patients understand other dental treatment they may need.

"I always wished I had more time to discuss malocclusion with someone who had sleep apnea and needed ortho to widen their opening," Novak shared. "I think those minutes saved would have helped open those types of conversations."

Fontana sees the same opportunity. "Now, you can use that time in a valuable way to better serve your patients, whether it's reviewing treatment planning, home care, or answering any questions."

Starts Sharp, Stays Sharp

Two trends are converging: hygienists are staying in practice for shorter stretches, and patients are leaving in high volume after uncomfortable cleanings.

"That could be from dull instruments," Fontana said. “The duller the instruments, the more difficult it is to scale and the more pressure the hygienist is using.”

The risk of dull instruments is more serious than it may seem.

“Maybe the dentist says, ‘I'm not buying new instruments, use what you have,’ so that hygienist does not have good-quality instruments, and the patient is feeling the effects. The patient leaves, the hygienist becomes unhappy and will most likely go to an office with better hygiene solutions.”

It’s a lose-lose situation—but it doesn’t have to be that way. EverEdge 2.0 Technology uses an advanced heat-control process to create a superior stainless-steel with a hard, sharp edge. In fact, EverEdge 2.0 Scalers are 72% sharper out of the box than the next closest competitor.

“Do you want to cut your meat with a steak knife or a butter knife?” Fontana said. “The EverEdge 2.0 is much sharper, so the patient is going to be more comfortable without all that force.”

Knowing that nearly 70% of hygienists experience hand, wrist, or arm pain, HuFriedyGroup developed the Harmony Ergonomic Scalers and Curettes, which reduce pinch force by up to 65% and pressure on the teeth by up to 37%.

“The combination of the Harmony handle and EverEdge 2.0 gives clinicians the ideal sense of tactile sensitivity and reduces the amount of random scaling," Novak said. "They can find the calculus, remove it, and be done in that area.”

Hygiene as It Should Be

When used together, air polishing, power scaling, and hand scaling point to a foundational shift in the way clinicians approach the hygiene appointment."

Customizing care is really what dentistry is supposed to be," Novak said. “We’re not meant to be treating everyone the same way.”

Novak has even seen practices boost their Google reviews on the strength of these innovative tools.

"Patients are being seen, heard, and then treated according to what they said," she explained, and with healthier mouths and more comfortable visits, positive reviews tend to follow.

"We can change treatment for each person's needs and wants and their sensitivity levels. It's pretty incredible."