Hardened plaque known as tartar or calculus as well as stains on the teeth can be unsightly
and may well be affecting your confidence to smile, not to mention your general oral health.
Tartar buildup, as well as staining is common, as is the procedure of scaling to remove such.
DIY ultrasonic cleaning has gained prominence recently,
and an increased number of products are being advertised for it.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
It is unnecessary for plaque removal, and you can’t use them to remove
tartar instead of going to the dentist.
An at home ultrasonic tooth cleaner might sound like a good idea.
You might be hoping this will save you a trip to the hygienist. But alas, it’s too good to be true.
Hey it’s Jon from Electric Teeth here.
I want to explain why these product’s aren’t quite as good as they are often suggested to be,
but first, it is worth clarifying what an ultrasonic tooth cleaner actually is.
These are handheld products you can buy online and in shops and take home to use yourself.
They typically have a metal tip and are powered using removable or rechargeable batteries.
They usually claim to remove plaque, tartar and stains by using vibrations.
Although they may look similar, they are different to the scalers used for
a professional cleaning by a dental professional. They do too go by a few different names including:
Ultrasonic Tooth Cleaner Sonic Home Dental System
Electric Plaque Removal Tool Electric Interdental Brush
Electric Dental Calculus Remover Why It’s A Bad Idea To Use
Products Like These At Home We purchased and tested a couple of
different types of at home dental scalers. The potential problems are divided into
damage they can do in the mouth and false manufacturers’ claims.
Ultrasonic Cleaners Will Damage Your Teeth And Gums
DIY dental scalers can damage the gums. The sharp metal tip will traumatise the gum if used
incorrectly. High vibration rate will also irritate the gum disease and cause damage,
especially because there is no water flow. Ultrasonic scalers can dent and scratch the
enamel surface if used incorrectly. This is also true for professional scalers, which is why,
dental professionals go through extensive training to use them correctly and safely.
The at-home ultrasonic cleaners can damage existing dental work. This includes white
composite fillings and metal fillings. They could also scratch crowns and veneers too.
Scratching these surfaces will make them more prone to staining and plaque buildup.
Using a scaler which has high vibrations without water can cause the tooth to overheat.
This will damage the nerve of the tooth in the pulp.
Ultimately, this can be irreversible and result in the tooth dying off. In the models we tested,
they did not vibrate fast enough to produce heat. Such instruments bought in a shop and used at home
are not sterile. You could, unknowingly, bring harmful bacteria into your mouth and underneath
your gums which could cause an infection. You can’t clean them effectively at home either.
When these go in the mouth, they pick up the bacteria that are on your teeth and under your
gums. Cleaning products you have at home will not fully clean the surfaces of the scaling tips.
False Promises From Manufacturers Of DIY Scalers At home ultrasonic scalers don’t really work.
It is very difficult to remove stains from teeth using these products.
Our in house dentist, Gemma Wheeler tested these products on herself.
She said, ‘I have only very light staining and found this a challenge to remove,
even when using the correct movements I know from dental training. It is unlikely you will get the
effect you desire at home. I am not convinced they will remove tartar/calculus as promised either.’
Gemma even tried the scalers on a mock up of calculus. It did cause
the top layer to flake off, but otherwise it just scratched into the deeper layers.
Manufacturers are claiming these are safe, even for children. In the manual for one we tested,
it says that children from age 8 can use the product, as well as “persons with reduced
physical, sensory or mental capabilities”. We disagree. Most children don’t have the right
dexterity to be able to brush effectively, let alone use a sharp metal instrument in their mouth!
How Do These Differ To Ultrasonic Cleaning You Receive At The Dentist?
Professional ultrasonic scalers vibrate at a speed that is faster than you can hear
(ultra sonic). This is somewhere between 20,000 and 45,000 times per second.
There are also profesional sonic scalers that vibrate 3000 to 8000 times per second.
These at home scalers do not move as fast as professional scaling tips.
All professional scalers have a water supply. The purpose of this is to help cool down the
metal tip. The water flow also helps the cleaning mechanism underneath the gum level.
These at DIY scrapers do not have a water supply. It is possible for professional ultrasonic scalers
to damage the enamel surface of the teeth and dental work just like the DIY options.
In fact, a lot of the problems we have listed for these at home scalers are also
true for professional cleaning. The at home scalers move fast enough to cause damage,
but not enough to be effective! The main difference is that dental
professionals know how to handle the tools to avoid causing damage. They
can also identify any damage caused and remedy it, something which is not possible at home.
What To Do If You Are Considering Buying One Of These Products?
Please avoid buying an ultrasonic tooth cleaner to use at home.
By purchasing these products you will likely be wasting your money. They are ineffective,
potentially damaging and the extra plastics and materials used place an unnecessary burden on the
environment for an item that doesn’t work. There is no need to purchase one of these
to remove plaque. Plaque does not have a strong bond to your teeth and can be removed
with toothbrushing and interdental cleaning. You aren’t able to use anything to remove tartar
without going to the dentist. The bond between the tartar and the tooth surface is too strong.
Instead of buying one of these products, invest your time and effort into getting
into a good oral hygiene routine. Preventing plaque build up will improve
your oral health. Removing plaque helps prevent tartar and staining.
Small changes in your diet can also reduce staining. For example,
avoiding foods that stain your teeth, or rinsing after having staining drinks such as coffee.
Electric toothbrushes are more effective at removing plaque. A good toothbrush would be
a better investment than one of these scrapers. And make sure you are cleaning in between the
teeth. Interdental cleaning is important for plaque removal and gum health.
To finish off I just wanted to address some of the criticism we've received about similar videos.
Some people have suggested that we are critical of products so that dentists and
the dental industry don't lose money from people treating their own teeth at home.
It's not an unreasonable assumption to make but it simply isn't true.
In fact, we would actually earn more money, via affiliate commissions,
if we gave these products a positive review and encouraged people to buy them.
But that's not what we're about. We have a strong code of ethics and want to do
what is right by people trying to look after their oral health.
We are as impartial as we can be. We are not selling dental
services or receiving any financial rewards for promoting the profession.
Any advice given in our videos aims to help people safely look after their oral health,
without spending money on gimmicks and fad products, which can often be dangerous.