Researchers Identify Tiny Bubbles Around Head Of Ultrasonic Scalers

EurekAlert (3/2) hosts a University of Birmingham release announcing researchers have studied “ultrasonic scalers, used by dental professionals to remove built up plaque,” finding a “formation of tiny bubbles around the head is key to the cleaning process.” The researchers used high speed cameras to observe “the bubble formation, or cavitation, of water around the head of the scaler,” and believe the findings could help lead to new instrument designs that maximize cavitation. The findings are published in PLOS ONE, and are “the first to prove that cavitation takes place around the free end of ultrasonic scalers.”