Ultrasonic devices like the Vector Scaler from Dürr Dental offer many advantages for patients and therapists. On the one hand, ultrasonic devices are noticeably gentler on the root surface than conventional handheld instruments. Long-term damage to the tooth structure – such as the typical narrowing of the neck of the tooth – is avoided. On the other hand, operation of an ultrasonic device requires a lot less physical effort on the part of the prophylaxis therapist – a noticeable relief at the end of the day after treating multiple patients. Ultrasonic instruments also operate more effectively, which means that the amount of time required for the prophylaxis treatment is noticeably reduced – and this has economic benefits for the practice in turn. In the product variant Vector Paro Pro, ultrasonic treatment can be assisted with Vector Fluid polish to increase cleaning performance and provide less painful professional teeth cleaning. Here, the ingredient hydroxyapatite seals the open dentine tubules on the surface of the root, which makes the treatment noticeably more pleasant for the patient.
Correct handling is essential for optimum use of the ultrasonic device. The instrument should never be held perpendicular to the tooth surface, but instead it should be positioned at an angle. The therapist should always take into account that only the first two millimetres of the instrument oscillate and thus have any effect. Instruments that are worn, too short or bent should therefore always be replaced with new ones. Enclosed test cards will help assess the condition of the instrument.
Different matching ultrasonic tips are available for the different dental application areas. A classic universal instrument us used to remove supragingival deposits on smooth surfaces and in interdental areas. Narrow instruments are particularly well suited to the removal of subgingival coatings in the gingival pockets – these are either straight or bent to the left or right.
Good lighting with durable, high-performance LEDs, such as on the Vector Scaler, is very important to ensure that the therapist always has a clear view during the treatment. In order to meet hygiene requirements it is necessary for the light guide to be sterilisable, as is the case here. This also applies to the entire handpiece and to the instruments. In terms of automatic and manual processing, the Vector Scaler is a completely worry-free, RKI-compliant package: the handpiece and instruments can be automatically cleaned and disinfected in the washer-disinfector, and special rinsing adapters enable validated manual or automatic reprocessing. The fact that the scaler handpiece can be partially dismantled makes cleaning and disinfection particularly easy. Each of the scaler instruments is supplied with a torque wrench in a Steribox. The torque wrench makes it easier to insert the instruments in the handpiece and features a serial number to facilitate documentation of the reprocessing of individual instruments.
When used correctly, modern ultrasonic instruments represent a treatment method that is relatively gentle and makes the therapist's day-to-day work noticeably easier. Vector Scaler and Vector Paro Pro are suitable systems for this, as they combine excellent ergonomics, easy handling and optimum reprocessability.