The common belief that “dental scaling scratches the enamel, ruins the polish of the teeth, and therefore needs to be done repeatedly once” is entirely an urban legend. Modern “Ultrasonic (Piezo) Devices” used for dental scaling do not have a rotating or cutting blade mechanism. The tip of these devices vibrates back and forth at a microscopic level approximately 25,000 to 30,000 times per second. When this high-frequency vibration touches hard tartar, it shatters the crystalline structure within the tartar through resonance, separating it from the tooth surface. In other words, the device does not scrape the enamel; it only shakes the tartar out of place. The water sprayed during the process both prevents frictional heat and kills bacteria through cavitation. The “polishing” (brushing) performed at the end of the process completely smooths out microscopic lines.
