I recently started a new job where I need to use a piezo scaler. I have never used one before and I asked the dentist and other hygienist what setting I should be using (it’s on a 0-100% scale) and they told me 85-90%. Almost every patient I have had has been jumping out of their seat with sensitivity and when I lowered the setting I was told to change it back because it wasn’t working well.
You want to use the lowest power setting to get the job done. The power setting also depends on what tip you are using; slim tips should be used at a lower power setting, while larger tips (for heavy calculus) can be used at higher power settings. If you use a slim tip at a high power setting you can damage tissue and tooth structure, burnish calculus, damage the tip, and it’s not comfortable for the patient. There isn’t a “cookie cutter” setting that covers all patients and all tips, like having the power at 85-90% for all patients like you were told. I can’t imagine all patients need the power that high, nor is that power level appropriate for all tips.
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