Dental Polishing Techniques and Equipment

Dental Polishing

• Dental polishing is a technique used to remove plaque and stains from tooth coronal surfaces.
• Key equipment includes a polishing handpiece, rubber cup, and abrasive agent.
• It's the most common method for stain removal.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to define the polishing procedure.
• Students should be able to describe the benefits of any type of polishing.
• Students should be able to describe the equipment used in a conventional polishing session.
• Students should be able to demonstrate proper patient preparation for polishing.
• Students should demonstrate safe clinical practices during polishing.
• Students should be able to assess the quality of the polish and provide advice to prevent future stains.

GDC Learning Outcomes 2013

• Describe oral diseases and their relevance to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Recognize oral abnormalities and raise concerns where appropriate.
• Recognize and manage clinical environment risks for safety and efficiency.
• Advise on and apply preventive materials and treatments.
• Undertake non-surgical treatments to remove hard and soft deposits.

Assessment

• Formative assessment includes quizzes, practical demonstrations, and class discussions.
• Summative assessment is based on the FCSP handbook.

Dental Stains

• The presentation covers how stains adhere to the tooth.
• Classifying dental stains by location is also important.
• Discussion on removal of certain stain categories by students.

Benefits of Polishing

• Smoother tooth surfaces make cleaning easier for patients.
• Polishing can improve patient motivation for oral hygiene.
• Polishing slows the buildup of new deposits.
• Fluoride is better absorbed by enamel post-polishing.

Main Ways of Polishing

• Conventional polishing uses a handpiece, rubber cup, and abrasive paste.
• Air-flow polishing uses a jet of air and abrasive to clean teeth more effectively.

Conventional Polishing Equipment

• Polishing handpiece
• Rubber cup
• Polishing paste
• Gauze
• Floss

Rubber Cup vs. Bristle Brush

• Rubber cups are typically soft rubber.
• Rubber cups have a webbed inner surface to effectively remove stains.
• Bristle brushes are made from natural or synthetic materials (such as nylon).

Closer Look

• Presentation includes different sizes and dimensions of polishing brushes.
• Relevant dimensions are shown in (mm).

Polishing Process

• Fill the polishing cup with abrasive agent.
• Position the cup against the appropriate tooth surface.
• Use a consistent stroking motion from the gum line to the top of the tooth.
• Apply moderate pressure to avoid damaging tooth enamel.
• Use overlapping strokes to eliminate any missed areas.

Control

• Maintain good hygiene and infection control as relevant to polishing.
• Consider factors like saliva and order of procedures to optimize cleaning.

Heavy Stains and Other Considerations

• Heavy stains like tobacco or chlorhexidine may require special attention.
• Be mindful of pits and fissures in enamel.
• Ensure latex allergies aren't overlooked.
• Avoid using brushes on cementum or dentine as it can be damaging to those areas.

Abrasives

• Extra-coarse, coarse, medium, fine, and extra-fine abrasives are available.
• The coarser the abrasive, the more abrasive the surface will be.
• Fine abrasives remove smaller amounts of enamel.
• Choose the least abrasive agent to minimize enamel damage.

Other Considerations

• Use appropriate pressure and rotation speed during polishing.
• Excessive abrasion can damage teeth.
• The more abrasive agent or pressure applied, the higher the abrasion degree.
• Lighter pressure will decrease the abrasion level and slower rotation of the cup lessens abrasion.

Patient Preparation

• Check for medical history or contradictions to the procedure.
• Provide a waterproof bib to the patient.
• Request patients to remove any removable appliances.
• Provide protective eyeglasses.
• Explain procedure to the patient and answer questions.

Safety

• Proper use of polishing equipment and patient safety precautions essential.

Techniques and Procedure

• Positioning of the fulcrum allows stability to the operator during procedures.
• Different types of intraoral and extraoral positions may be used during procedures.
• Specific strokes are used to address varying tooth areas.

After Polishing / Evaluation

• Flossing to remove any debris left on the tooth after cleaning.
• Evaluate the tooth, ensuring that it is glossy, reflects light, and shows no evidence of trauma.

Additional Considerations

• Patient education on stain causes and prevention.
• Management of intrinsic stains.

Image References

• Image references are provided for further research into dental procedures.

This quiz covers the techniques, benefits, and equipment used in dental polishing. Students will learn about the procedure, patient preparation, and safe clinical practices involved in effective polishing. It also addresses the importance of assessing the quality of the polish to prevent future stains.