Inside Scoop By Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown Magazine

Do you feel strapped for time in the operatory? Power scalers are one of the suggestions Townies have for dealing with this challenge and the focus of the feature article in this issue of Hygienetown Magazine. Power scalers remove not only gross deposits, but also soft plaque biofilm. Some dental hygienists remove the plaque by polishing first, before focusing on calculus removal, according to the message board that starts on page 18. Using disclosing solution, you can see the effect of your power scaler for plaque removal. As power scalers are being used more and hand instruments less, hand instruments are changing to fit their new role. Hand instruments need to reach to the depth of the pocket to remove remaining tiny deposits and smooth root surfaces. They are no longer used to remove heavy deposits – that’s been delegated to the power scalers. New hand instruments used with power scalers should streamline instrumentation and improve time management. With these new instruments now available, research can determine effectiveness.

Several instrument companies now make curettes with tiny spoon blades – the O’Hehir instruments. (I designed them, but I receive no compensation from their sale.) These tiny blades provide the toe of a curette, without the unused part of the blade. Mini instruments were the first attempt to get rid of the unnecessary portion of the curette blade, and now the spoon design has created a 310 degree blade that completely protects the subgingival tissue while providing effective instrumentation no matter where the blade is adapted.

In September, I visited the PDT factory in Missoula, Montana to see just how Fred and Linda Van de Perre were able to make these tiny scoop blades. It’s amazing how many steps go into making our instruments and what has to be done to make sure each bend and cut is exactly the same each time. It’s both art and science. These new instruments have straight shanks and bends similar to the Gracey 13/14 and 15/16. A set of three O’Hehir curettes, a new thin scaler and a power scaler promises to change the dental hygiene visit in the future.

Other products coming soon will allow us to polish subgingivally, where the biofilm needs to be removed. Effective instrumentation with power scalers and hand instruments will remove subgingival deposits. Add effective oral hygiene instructions and compliance and the next visit may only require subgingival polishing. It may not be just a dream. Keep reading Perio Reports to know what’s coming in the future.

If you have an intraoral camera, take photos before and after using a power scaler and/or hand instruments. I love to see the deposits before and the results immediately after on the same day and the tissue response a week or more later. It’s a great way to share your successes with dental hygienists. Or take photos of interesting clinical findings to share with other Townies, like The Admiral who posted clinical photos of dentin pools in the message board starting on page 8. I’m sure you’ve seen dentin pools, so this discussion will definitely be interesting to you. If by chance you’ve never seen them before, you are sure to pick them out now. Dental hygiene really is detective work, isn’t it!

See you on www.hygienetown.com.