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How to deal with a fractured instrument on clinic

BDJ Student volume 28, pages 47–48 (2021)Cite this article

By Nikita Joshi, University of Central Lancashire

Students often have new experiences on their clinics. Experiencing new procedures comes with the added risk of experiencing new problems. The most important thing is to act safely, take a deep breath and learn from problems you might come across. One such problem may be a fractured instrument. Picture this: you are scaling away removing all the calculus and plaque using your ultrasonic scaler (USS). You just have two teeth left in the lower right posterior quadrant, and before you touch the scaler onto the tooth surface, the tip of the scaler has gone. This is exactly what happened to me (N.B, the patient is doing well)! Had I recognised the signs of a fatigued USS tip, this would have been avoided, nevertheless these incidences can still occur, so here's what to do if you find yourself in this situation.

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  1. University of Central Lancashire, Adelphi Street, PR1 2HE, Preston, UK

    Nikita Joshi

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Correspondence to Nikita Joshi.

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Joshi, N. How to deal with a fractured instrument on clinic. BDJ Student 28, 47–48 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-021-0202-x

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