Ultrasonic Cleaners

Apollonia

jugglebug wrote: »

Just goes to show how important perceptions are and how variable they are.
i have just ditched a cavitron in favour of a piezo unit.
it is far quieter. (In fact I didnt think it was working at 1st ) and the patients have commented.
I suspect like many the practice I work at has been guilty of using the tips a little longer than we should leading to greater vibration in the handle leading to the noise, plus the energy is wasted and so the tip less efficient. So I didnt wait for the practice owners to replace. I bought my own
I think maintenece is more important than technology

To be fair, the piezo unit that I have to use occasionally is very old (although the tips are new) so maybe that would explain the difference.

Mrs_P_Pincher

Tippytoes I am in absolutely the same situation. I have been told that my tartar build up is hereditary. In November my dentist had to cancel my checkup, so I just saw the hygienist for my usual scale and polish and then two weeks later I saw the dentist. He had another go with the hand scaler and told me that the tartar was building up at a fantastic rate.

I have always brushed and flossed and it seems to make no difference.

I am about to have another 30 minutes under LA to do what could not be done last week. I posted separately about the S & P I had last Thursday. I am still in considerable discomfort and I know I shouldn't be.

Mrs P P

moneylover

A dentist once told me that to a certain extent the build up was due to the 'kind of saliva' you have. I have no idea whether that is true or not, but I also have an ongoing problem yet hygienist agrees I brush properly. I brush when I get up, before breakfast and last thing at night at least 30 mins after anything I might have eaten and drunk.

So are comments from dentists related to 'its heredity' or 'your saliva' true or not?

welshdent

Of the 2, IMHO the most likely is the saliva. I have never known calculus build up i.e. plaque formation and subsequent calcification to be a genetic thing (although I admit periodontology is not my most updated subject!). If your saliva contains more salts though they could hasten the rate of formation of calculus ... BUT you can not form calculus out of thin air. There has to be plaque present in the first place. It would be like building a house with no bricks (assuming it was a brick house not timber )

welshdent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_%28dental%29

welshdent

and if you are REALLY bored

http://www.dent.ucla.edu/pic/members/plaque/index.html

moneylover

not bored at all, interested. The UCLA article is very comprehensive. And does list the factors that increase predisposition to plaque including pH of the saliva. Also malocclusion which I have and mouth breathing (I do this at night)

What I cannot get a feel for from the article is whether these problems add significantly to the rate of plaque formation or whether it simply means you have to work just a little bit harder than some other people to have a healthy mouth.

I might get some disclosing tablets and see what happens during the week after going to the hygienist. I have to say that I work quite hard at my teeth after one of my regular visits but flossing is such a nightmare with my overcrowded teeth that I do lose heart towards the end of the three months before the next visit. But I am pretty consistent if only because my dad lost all his teeth to gum disease and I wouldnt want that to happen to me.

brook2jack

As said before these factors do not necessarily make you form more plaque, what they do is stop the plaque being washed away eg mouthbreathing dries your mouth out so saliva doesn't wash plaque away, malocclusion makes it difficult to clean effectively around teeth.

A higher rate of mineral deposition just means that plaque you have left on your teeth hardens more easily.

The end point is no matter how well you think you are cleaning you are not cleaning well enough. Plaque is building on your teeth and it is remaining undisturbed long enough to form tartar. It is not inevitable you will form tartar, if you remove plaque thoroughly then tartar cannot form.

Yes there are factors that make it more difficult to clean but tartar is not hereditary, parents teach children how to clean /floss (or not) so incorrect cleaning habits are hereditary!!

Once tartar has formed some people are more likely to develop gum disease from it but the simple thing is not to let tartar form in the first place.

The_One_Who

I was told a few years ago by my orthodontist that it seems that my saliva doesn't break down plaque as well as most. So even though I brush and floss I need to see the hygienist regularly. Do you think it would be an idea to try to brush three times a day, rather than two? Obviously not always possible, but when it is.

brook2jack

For most people plaque needs to be undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours before tartar starts to form so the important thing is to make sure quality cleaning us done twice daily . Ie brushing,flossing,tepe brushes(if necessary), superfloss for bridges etc used in the right way.

Check your technique using disclosing tablets, get used to feeling your teeth with your tongue, smooth teeth have no plaque , teeth that feel furry or rough have plaque.

If the plaque is not left undisturbed for a day to three days you will not get tartar.