CHOOSING INSTRUMENTS TO TACKLE PERIODONTITIS

Educating patients about periodontal treatment is an important step toward case acceptance—so is having lightweight and efficient scalers and curettes in hand

More than 3 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with periodontitis. While this is an alarming statistic, patients don’t exactly take solace in knowing they are not alone. A diagnosis of periodontitis, as well as the treatment that goes along with it, can range from a mild annoyance for some patients to a totally frightening experience for others.

As dental professionals weigh their options for educating patients, it’s vital to take a case-by-case approach to each conversation about treatment. Assessing individual needs and prioritizing patient comfort will help boost treatment acceptance in the practice.

“There are a variety of effective educational methods that can be used to establish a home care routine for a patient, such as a question-and-answer session between patient and provider to determine a patient's needs,” said hygienist Emily Boge, a member of the Dental Product Shopper Editorial Advisory Board and an advocate for the dental hygiene profession. “Each patient is different, so patient education should vary depending their stage and grade of disease as defined by the American Academy of Periodontology, as well as their comprehensive oral-systemic condition.”

"As the body of knowledge regarding the oral micro-biofilm changes, so must the science behind the instrumentation we use to fight these germs."
-Emily Boge, CDA, RDH, MPA

Patients with gingivitis may need therapy and a preventive care plan to protect periodontal attachment levels before destruction occurs, while periodontal patients with a more advanced stage and grade of disease may require a more intensive treatment plan, including nonsurgical therapy methods.

Regardless of patients’ oral health picture, dental teams are encouraged to use devices that remove biofilm, toxins, plaque, and tartar buildup—which inhibits bacteria and slows the progression of oral decay and disease. An expert in dental instrument design, Boge believes instrument selection is dependent upon the dental professional's level of education and the devices to which they were introduced during their original clinical sessions or continuing education.

“In my opinion, dental professionals should only use products that they have received proper training with to ensure they can handle and maintain the safety of the device,” Boge expressed, while also acknowledging that dental researchers are constantly learning new ways to improve patient care.

“As the body of knowledge regarding the oral micro-biofilm changes, so must the science behind the instrumentation we utilize to fight these germs.”

While Boge, who lectures extensively on innovative dental products and concepts, favors lightweight instruments that maintain their sharpness over time, there are many factors to consider when choosing a new scaler or curette—among them technique, ease of use, and consistent results. Here are just a few options to consider.

Hand Scalers and Curettes

Boge 513 dental instrument Designed by and named after dental hygiene advocate Emily Boge, the Boge 513 is a double-ended anterior scaler with sharpen-free XP Technology exclusive to American Eagle Instruments. One end features an elongated shank and straight, slightly lipped cutting edge that can remove tartar in difficult-to-reach areas, while the other end has adequate width for stabilization during vertical and horizontal working strokes.

With consistent bends and edge retention, Hartzell Instruments’ hand scalers and curettes, sold by DenMat, are made with stainless-steel construction and include double-ended, cone socket, fox curette, and sickle scaler designs.

The R900 Wingrove Go-To Set from Paradise Dental Technologies includes 3 specifically designed Wingrove titanium instruments that can efficiently adapt to implants with narrow-based bulbous crowns, wide-based crowns, LOCATOR abutments, Hader Bars, and exposed threads. Available in the PDT 5 FlipTop Cassette, the R900 set also features a ceramic stone for sharpening and UNC 12 plastic perio probes.

With surgical-grade stainless-steel tips, Henry Schein’s MaxiGrip ERGO Silicone Scalers and Curettes are ergonomically designed for ideal tactile sensitivity. Their medical-grade silicone handles ensure a secure, comfortable grip, while a metal core provides ideal weighting and durability.

Built with an advanced RFID chip, LM Instruments’ LM-ErgoSense instruments offer precise tracking to improve patient safety and material handling, and boost cost-efficiency. Other key features include a thick, silicone-surface handle, precision-formed tips, and ideal tactile sensitivity.

Empowerment Kit Dental instruments Exceptionally light at just 15 grams, Premier Dental's PremierAir hygiene instruments are designed with rugged polymer handles and tested extensively to ensure a long working life. Precision tips are made with 440A steel with SmartSharp Technology to keep edges sharp and well defined, plus a nonslip grip requires less pressure to maintain control.

Specifically designed to support ultrasonic scaling and users of the Airflow Prophylaxis Master device, HuFriedyGroup's Empowerment Kit includes color-coded scalers that make it easy to identify which anatomical area of the mouth and tooth surface each instrument is indicated for. The organization kit reduces time spent identifying different working ends, which maximizes procedural efficiency.