How do you scale yours?

Can I use a metal instrument to scale a dental implant? Many dental professionals would say it depends on the type of metal instrument used. If it is stainless steel then maybe not, as it’s quite easy to alter the implant surface; this, in turn, could attract more plaque to the area. Some hand instrument manufacturers would have us believe that some metal instruments are safe to use. Titanium or titanium-coated hand instruments were considered a safe option, but is this really the case?

In 2010, approximately 100,000 implants were placed in the UK. By the end of 2013, this figure was said to have doubled to 200,000. There are many implant manufacturers on the market. Each manufacturer has a distinct range of both implants and abutments. We know that most implants are made from titanium, but are you aware that there are five different grades of titanium?

Most abutments and implants are made from grades 4 and 5 titanium. Grades 1 to 4 are called CP titanium and are considered pure, and grade 5 is a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). The different grades of titanium have different properties; a major physical property is hardness. The grades get harder as they increase numerically. The majority of titanium scaling instruments are made from grade 5 titanium; therefore they are very hard.