Did you know that, according to this study, 61% of people are afraid of going to the dentist?
It’s understandable. There is a significant amount of discomfort that is associated with the dentist’s office. Personally, one of my biggest fears about the dentist’s office is the sound that the metal scraper makes against my teeth when the dentist is scraping off the plaque.
This is an excruciatingly long and often painful process...quite literally akin to 60 minutes of nails on a chalkboard (even if it is set to a background track of dental office soft rock jams!).
That said, plaque removal is necessary. While we’d all like to think that we are superstar brushers who get rid of plaque before it hardens into tartar, it’s difficult for most of us to reach underneath the gum line where tartar just loves to accumulate.
That’s why I was so excited with the advent of ultrasonic teeth cleaning. During an ultrasonic teeth cleaning, plaque and tartar is removed with an ultrasonic scaler which uses sonic vibrations to break apart harmful build-up. After the plaque and tartar is broken up, the ultrasonic scaler shoots water into the dental crevices to wash away debris.
I know that all sounds well and good, but you may have heard a few concerning rumors about ultrasonic teeth cleaning recently.
These rumors may include that it’s less effective than manually scaling, or that it damages your enamel, or that it’s an unnecessary expense that you can just as easily take care of at home, or that it can even potentially expose you to COVID-19.
Today, we’d like to address a few facts about ultrasonic cleaning to help address some of these common rumors:
7 FACTS ABOUT ULTRASONIC TEETH CLEANING:
1) It’s much quicker than manual scaling.
While manual scaling can take up to 2 hours (!) for cases of extreme tartar build-up, ultrasonic teeth cleaning usually only takes about 30 minutes.
2) It’s just as effective, if not more effective, than manual scaling at reducing tartar.
Research shows that ultrasonic teeth cleaning is just as effective as manual scaling at removing plaque and tartar.
Most notably, ultrasonic scalers have three attributes which potentially make them better at breaking up that nasty dental gook:
- Ultrasonic scalers feature a very small tip, which allows them to penetrate deeper into dental pockets than traditional manual scalers;
- The water sprayed by the ultrasonic scalers post-vibration helps to dislodge accumulated plaque and tartar;
- Ultrasonic scaling vibrations actually creates oxygen bubbles in deep dental pockets, which helps to kill off harmful bacteria growing there and ultimately prevent gum disease.
3) It can remove the appearance of stains.
Yellowing and stains are caused, in part, by plaque build-up. Therefore, it makes sense that ultrasonic teeth cleaning would make your teeth more pearly.
However, whether it makes them more white than traditional scaling is up for debate. Theoretically, both should help reduce the appearance of stains if done thoroughly.
4) It’s less painful than manual scaling.
Traditional manual scaling requires the dentist to apply a substantial amount of pressure to the tooth, often causing discomfort and even outright pain.
If your dentist is inexperienced, you also run a greater risk of the metal scaler puncturing or damaging the gum line. Ultrasonic teeth cleaning uses vibrations and water so it is a more gentle, less invasive clean.
5) It actually causes less enamel damage than manual scaling.
Considering the above point about greater pressure on the teeth and potential dentist user error with manual scaling, it’s no surprise that ultrasonic scalers have been shown to be less damaging to enamel.
If you have sensitive teeth or weakened enamel, we absolutely recommend ultrasonic cleaning over manual scaling.
6) While at-home ultrasonic scalers are available, the ADA does not recommend them….with good reason.
There has been a rise in recent years of ultrasonic scalers available through a simple click of a button, but users should be wary that improper use of these tools can potentially lead to gum damage, gum recession, and infection.
Consider this: dental hygienists must go through extensive training over years to properly use these tools….chances are you won’t learn how to do it properly in 20 minutes.
A better option? Take good care of your teeth at home with a toothbrush that gets both your teeth and gums ….and see your dentist twice a year.
7) While it is largely safe, there are some health risks…. Particularly to your dentist… Especially right now.
Some of the reported health risks include cell disruption, platelet damage, interruption to pacemakers, temporary tinnitus, and auditory damage to long-term clinicians.
However, the most concerning health risk of ultrasonic teeth cleaning is that the water released during the procedure mixes with the patient’s oral bacteria and creates aerosols released during the procedure.
These aerosols can be ingested by the dentist and put their health at risk. It was found in a 2016 study that aerosols containing high numbers of the dangerous Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species were found after ultrasonic cleaning sessions.
After a year like 2020 in particular, it is no surprise therefore that the American Dental Association (ADA) actually recommends hand scaling instead of ultrasonic scaling during the pandemic for this very reason. You can read all about it here.
As a conscientious company who cares both about dentists and their patients and trusts in the expertise of the ADA, we highly recommend hand scaling above ultrasonic scaling until a vaccine is widely available.
We hope this has given you a little more clarity on ultrasonic teeth cleaning. Now go forth and smile bright, friends!
Short answer: is ultrasonic teeth cleaning safe?
Yes. Ultrasonic teeth cleaning performed by a trained dental professional is considered a safe alternative to manual scaling, and in several ways a gentler one. It uses sonic vibrations and a fine jet of water to break up and rinse away hardened build-up, rather than the pressure and scraping of a metal hand scaler.
The safety picture changes in one place: at-home ultrasonic tooth cleaners. Those same tools, used without training, are where the real risk sits, and the American Dental Association (ADA) does not recommend them for home use.
Side effects, when they happen, tend to be short-lived rather than serious, and the procedure is usually described as less uncomfortable than manual scaling. The sections below cover each of those in turn: what it feels like, what side effects to expect, and why the at-home versions are a different conversation entirely.
Does ultrasonic teeth cleaning hurt?
For most people, no. The tip of an ultrasonic scaler vibrates rather than scrapes, so it does not require the firm, sustained pressure against the tooth that manual scaling does. What people usually notice instead is a high-pitched hum, a tickling vibration, and a steady spray of cool water that the hygienist suctions away as they work.
The part that tends to be uncomfortable is not the tool but the territory. Cleaning below the gum line, or working on an area with heavy build-up, can feel sensitive regardless of the method used. If you have sensitive teeth, tell the hygienist before they start rather than partway through: they can adjust the power setting, warm the water, or move in shorter passes.
A numbing gel or local anaesthetic is an option for deeper cleanings, though many people do not need one. If a previous cleaning was genuinely painful, that is worth mentioning at the start of the appointment. It is a normal request, not a difficult one.
Ultrasonic teeth cleaning side effects
Most side effects are temporary and settle on their own. The ones people report most often after a professional cleaning are mild tooth sensitivity to hot and cold, tender or slightly bleeding gums for a day or two, and a feeling of gaps or roughness where hardened build-up used to sit. None of these mean something went wrong; they are what teeth feel like once the surface has been cleared. [NEEDS: a dental source confirming typical duration of post-scaling sensitivity before publishing specific timeframes.]
A few situations call for a conversation with your dentist first. Ultrasonic scalers have been associated with interference in some pacemakers and other implanted devices, so it is worth flagging any implant beforehand. Long-term clinicians have also reported tinnitus and auditory effects from daily exposure to the instrument, which is an occupational consideration rather than a patient one.
The good news is that the things that turn mild side effects into real problems, such as gum recession, punctured tissue, or infection, are overwhelmingly associated with improper technique. That is why who is holding the tool matters more than which tool it is.
If sensitivity lingers after a cleaning, a softer daily routine tends to help more than avoiding brushing altogether: gentle pressure, a soft-bristle brush, and giving the gums a few days to settle.
Are ultrasonic tooth cleaners safe to use at home?
This is the one place where the honest answer is: probably not, and not for the reason most people assume. The devices themselves are not the issue. The issue is that scaling is a technique, and technique is what dental hygienists spend years learning. Angle, pressure, duration on a single spot, knowing when to stop.
Used incorrectly, an at-home ultrasonic tooth cleaner can damage gum tissue, contribute to gum recession, or push bacteria into places you would rather it did not go. There is also no way to see what you are doing below the gum line, which is precisely where hardened build-up accumulates and precisely why the professional version exists.
A more realistic approach is to treat home care as prevention rather than removal. Soft build-up responds to consistent daily brushing; hardened build-up does not, and that is the part worth leaving to a professional. A toothbrush that gets both your teeth and gums , twice a day, does more for you over a year than an occasional session with a device you have not been trained to use.
So: keep the routine steady at home, and see your dentist twice a year for the parts a toothbrush cannot reach.