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Piezoelectric scaler tip
Also called: piezo tip, piezo scaler
A small screw-on tip that moves straight back and forth; its sides do the work.
A piezoelectric scaler uses ceramic crystals in the handpiece that change size with electric current. That makes the tip move in a straight line, back and forth. The lateral (side) surfaces of the tip are the most active. Tips screw onto the handpiece with a small wrench.
How to spot it
- A small metal tip with a threaded end, screwed onto a slim handpiece.
- No long insert stack.
What it is used for
Safety and care
- Critical item (it goes into soft tissue or touches bone): clean it, package it and heat-sterilize it after every patient.
- Tighten and remove tips with the tip wrench, not your fingers.
- Use high-volume evacuation to control aerosols.
Related
Sources: RDH Magazine. The 411 on magneto and piezo ultrasonics, Gehrig JS, Shin DE. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation and Advanced Root Instrumentation, 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett, 2023 (plus Newman & Carranza's Clinical Periodontology), Dentsply Sirona. Cavitron Ultrasonic Inserts, Directions for Use (IFU 79457), CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17)