INSTRUMENTATION OF FURCATION WITH MODIFIED SONIC SCALER INSERTS - STUDY ON MANNEQUINS, PART-I

The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of differen t scaling instruments for the debridement of furcations. 12 upper and 12 lower replicated molars with through-and-through furcations were in strumented 3x with 5 different types of instruments: (i) hand instrume nts; (ii) hand instruments in conjunction with diamond burrs; (iii) a conventional ultrasonic scaler insert; (iv) a conventional sonic scale r insert; (v) a set of 2 modified diamond coated sonic scaler inserts with different angulated shafts. The plastic replicas were fixed in a manikin head without replicated soft tissues. Following debridement, w eight loss and % of instrumented furcation area were assessed. In the case of lower molars, it made little difference whether they were trea ted with hand instruments, hand instruments combined with diamond burr s, or diamond-coated sonic scaler inserts. On upper molars, however, s ignificantly more area was instrumented with the diamond-coated insert s than with the other instruments. Substance removal was greater with diamond-coated inserts than with the other devices. In conclusion, an effective debridement of the furcation seems possible only with an odo ntoplasty, in which a furcation is fitted to the instrument by means o f intensive instrumentation, thus leading to substance loss. To improv e results with these instruments, further research is necessary.