Journal of periodontology
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Journal of periodontology · Nov 1989
In vitro effectiveness of a newly-designed ultrasonic scaler tip for furcation areas.
This study was undertaken to perform an in vitro comparison of the accessibility and effectiveness of a newly-designed furcation tip for an ultrasonic system with conventional curets and ultrasonic scalers. The new furcation tip was spiral in shape with a spherical end. The study was conducted on three groups of 40 teeth, each comprising 20 maxillary and 20 mandibular molars. ⋯ The newly-designed tip thus showed high levels of effectiveness and accessibility for furcation debridement. Although the SEM photographs showed that each instrument had affected the furcation surfaces in various degrees, the teeth instrumented by the newly-designed tip maintained relatively smoother surfaces. It was concluded that the newly-designed furcation tip was more effective than the straight type ultrasonic scaler or the Gracey curet in the debridement of furcation in vitro.