Clinic I Lecture 2

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of a scaler?

To remove supragingival calculus (correct)

To remove subgingival calculus

To remove biofilm

To remove plaque

What is the primary occupational hazard related to chairside practice?

Burns from the unit

Injuries from the patient

Repetitive motion injuries (correct)

Trauma from the unit

What is the ideal finger rest or fulcrum when using a dental instrument?

The heel-third of the instrument

The middle-third of the instrument

The tip- or toe-third of the instrument

A tooth adjacent to the tooth being treated (correct)

What is a straight-bladed scaler known as?

A Jacquette Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the shank of a dental instrument?

To provide access to various teeth and tooth surfaces in the mouth Signup and view all the answers

What is the ideal design for supragingival surfaces?

Beavertail Signup and view all the answers

What is the tip-third of a scaler used for?

To maintain the cutting edge on the tooth surface Signup and view all the answers

What is the preferred angulation for scalers and curets?

70° Signup and view all the answers

When using the unit for hard deposit removal, what is the best power setting to use?

Low Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of an exercise that can be done during patient treatment?

Stretching Signup and view all the answers

What type of scaler is used for removal of supra- and subgingival calculus and biofilm?

A Curet Signup and view all the answers

What type of instrument is used during periodontal treatment?

Scaler or curet Signup and view all the answers

What type of handle is best suited for instruments used in dental hygiene?

Ergonomic handle Signup and view all the answers

What should be considered when selecting the appropriate power setting?

The type of deposit being removed Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of preprocedural rinsing before using an ultrasonic scaler?

To reduce the number of oral pathogens in the aerosols created Signup and view all the answers

What type of ultrasonic scaler uses inserts?

Magnetostrictive Signup and view all the answers

What type of grasp is used to hold and activate a dental instrument?

Modified pen grasp Signup and view all the answers

What type of ultrasonic scaler uses metal stacks?

Electrosurgical Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the working end of a dental instrument?

To carry out the purpose and function of the instrument Signup and view all the answers

What type of ultrasonic tip is used for general plaque removal?

Straight Signup and view all the answers

What is the preferred hand to use when holding and activating a treatment instrument?

Dominant hand Signup and view all the answers

What type of shank is ideal for anterior teeth and proximal surfaces of posterior teeth?

Straight/simple shank Signup and view all the answers

What type of ultrasonic tip is better suited for removing calculus and biofilm from teeth?

Complex Signup and view all the answers

What is the final step before using an ultrasonic device?

Adjusting the water to the correct setting Signup and view all the answers

What is the best way to instrument a tooth surface?

Roll the instrument between the fingers as the instrument is activated Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Instruments used for dental hygiene assessment and treatment include the mouth mirror, explorers, and periodontal probes.
Handles come in various forms and designs, and depending on the instrument manufacturer, the instrument may weigh between 15 and 15.0 grams.
The shank governs the access of the working end to various teeth and tooth surfaces in the mouth, and the shape, length, and rigidity of the shank determine the instrument's suitability for use.
Straight/simple shanks are ideal for anterior teeth and proximal surfaces of posterior teeth, while angled/complex shanks are better suited for restricted access tooth surfaces.
Ergonomic handles are designed to weigh less than 15.0 grams, and they have a 10-mm diameter handle.
An instrument used during periodontal treatment is a scaler or curet.
The working end is the part used to carry out the purpose and function of the instrument.
Each working end is unique to the particular instrument.
The dominant hand is used to hold and activate the treatment instrument.
A modified pen grasp is used to hold and activate the instrument.
The hand must be in a neutral wrist position to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
Fulcrums are important for stability, control, and prevention of injury.
The ideal finger rest or fulcrum is a tooth adjacent to the tooth being treated, is a firm and stable tooth, and is in the same arch and quadrant as the tooth being instrumented.
An instrument is used to adapt to the surface of the tooth where instrumentation is to take place.
The instrument is divided into thirds, referred to as the heel-third, the middle-third, and the tip- or toe-third.
All line angles require the instrument be rolled between the fingers as the instrument is activated to turn the working end to keep the toe or tip third adapted to the tooth surface.
Each instrument is applied to a surface in a specific manner for optimum adaptation and angulation.
Probe: The usual adaptation of a probe is to maintain the side of the tip on the tooth, with the long axis of the working end parallel to the root surface.
Explorer: The side of the explorer tip is kept adapted to the tooth at all times (at an angle of approximately 5° or less) to feel for changes in the surface, such as roughness. Chapter 20 illustrates the use of the subgingival explorer.
Scalers and curets: Angulation refers to the angle formed by the face of the blade with the tooth surface to which the instrument is applied.
At 0° (“closed”) angulation, the face of a curet is flat against the tooth surface (Figure 37-8A). This is crucial to prevent soft tissue trauma when inserting the blade beneath the gingival margin.
For both curets and scalers, a 70° (“open”) angulation between the face of the instrument and the tooth surface permits effective calculus removal.
Attempting to remove calculus at a 0° closed angulation uses only the lateral surface of a sharp blade, which can result in the burnishing of calculus.

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