Roughness and loss of substance of tooth surfaces after biofilm removal with different processing methods

Abstract Body: Biofilm removal on tooth surfaces is always accompanied by a loss of substance in the areas to be cleaned. We suppose, that ideally the roughness of enamel surfaces is as smooth as possible after cleaning procedures. If achievable only the layer of subgingival endotoxin invasion should be removed along with the biofilm from the root cementum. Over-instrumentation can lead quickly to the complete loss of the cementum and the resulting defect healing with epithelial cells. There is only a reduced chance for regeneration of the periodontal tissues. The substance removal of root cementum is discussed between 6.3 and 100µm in the literature, depending on the technology used. The development of low abrasive new powders based on glycine, erythritol+chlorhexidine and trehalose is a renaissance for air polishing devices. In addition to the damage of the root surface, the roughness achieved plays a central role in periodontal healing. A systematic review with 17 publications confirms these results also in the clinical application. Erythritol+chlorhexidine powder is also found to have perfect cleaning without defects in the enamel. The necessity of additional polishing is still under discussion. The aim of the lecture is to show how the different methods of surface treatment on enamel and root cementum.