Hand Scaling vs. Ultrasonic

As you may have heard, according to the College of Registered Dental Hygienists of Alberta, the use of ultrasonic scalers has been suspended. We will only be offering hand scaling until further notice. We’ve had some questions about what this actually means, so we are going to break it down for you here!

Plaque (a film of bacteria that forms on your teeth) is known to be the main cause of periodontal (gum) disease. When bacteria settles on your teeth they form a film called biofilm. If they aren’t removed, they cause gaps between the teeth and their surrounding gums, where plaque hardens into deposits that we call calculus or tartar. Dental hygienists are trained to remove these deposits, a process called “scaling”. The 2 types of scaling are either scaling by hand or by ultrasonic power scalers (a more recent technology).

Hand scaling removes plaque and calculus by manually using small metal picks to gently scrape it away. Ultrasonic scalers use ultrasound to clean your teeth, creating a high vibrational energy that blasts calculus, removing it a bit more easily. They also create shockwaves, allowing the plaque bacteria and calculus to be therapeutically flushed from the teeth by a small jet of water. Ultrasonic scalers create aerosols, which increase the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Aerosolized droplets can remain in an area, suspended in the air, which can create an opportunity for the virus to spread. In trying to mitigate these aerosols, the intent is to keep our patients and team as safe as possible.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us! We will be keeping you updated, should the guidelines set by the College of Registered Dental Hygienists of Alberta change.