When looking at ultrasonic tip design, what is the most important consideration in choosing the appropriate tip?
A The most important consideration in choosing any instrument, either hand or ultrasonic, is access to the root surface. If the instrument cannot gain access to the portion of the root surface with the calculus, it won’t do what needs to be done. Unfortunately, one of the factors in the design of all ultrasonic tips, no matter what type of transducer drives it, is the need for an adequate bulk of metal to prevent breakage. The transducer is the device that causes the tip to vibrate ultrasonically. Some dental professionals prefer a very thin tip in order to gain access to difficult areas, but to prevent breakage, these instruments must be used at a very low power setting. Low power settings may not completely remove tenacious calculus and they are more likely to burnish the calculus. Again, the calculus needs to be removed from the tooth to eliminate inflammation and gain clinical success. Diamond-Coated Tips Q Diamond-coated ultrasonic tips were recently introduced to the market. Are
