Abstract
The aim of this study was the morphological evaluation of root surfaces subjected to manual (curette) and ultrasonic (conventional and diamond tips) scaling. The surface was then polished with a rubber cup and three medium-sized pastes. Ninety teeth were randomly divided into three groups of 30 and subjected to three different root instrumentation: (1) manual instrumentation with a Gracey® curette; (2) ultrasonic instrumentation with a standard steel tip (Universal Perio S-SERIES: USU, Hu-Friedy, Chicago, IL, USA) at a power equal to 50%; and (3) with a diamond tip (Punta Piezo Serie E Scaling, Hu-Friedy, Chicago, IL, USA) at a power of 20%. Each group of the instrumented teeth was then divided in three subgroups of 10 and subjected to 30 s of rubber polishing with three different polishing pastes with medium grain sizes in single-dose cups: (1) Ultrapro Tx cool mint medium®; (2) Stomyprox media®; and (3) Nupro medium orange®. Polyether root surface replicas were then taken from all 90 samples and analyzed by SEM to evaluate surface morphology after scaling and polishing procedures. All scaling techniques caused an alteration of the root surface without statistically significant difference, whereas polishing resulted in maintenance or improvement of the surface texture.
Highlights
The first aim of this study was the morphological evaluation of the root surface subjected to manual and ultrasonic scaling with curette and conventional and diamond tips, respectively
The first purpose of this study was the morphological evaluation of the root surface subjected to scaling by manual curette and ultrasonic devices with conventional tips and diamond tips
Manual instrumentation was once considered more effective than sonic and ultrasonic instrumentation; more recently, mechanical instrumentation has been widely accepted as an alternative or an aid to manual instrumentation as it shows the same effects in removing biofilm, subgingival calculus, and endotoxins [1,2]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The goals of periodontal therapy are to eliminate the infectious and inflammatory processes of periodontal tissues. Subgingival plaque and calculus on the root surface in the periodontal pocket are the most important local factors for the occurrence and development of periodontitis [1]. Mechanical removal of plaque and calculus by manual and ultrasonic scaling instrumentation with ultrasound has shown equal effectiveness in in vitro and in vivo studies [1,2]. Manual root planing eliminates “infected cementum”, while ultrasonic instruments will not remove the cementum excessively and are superior in terms of time saving and labour saving compared to using hand instruments [1]
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