Talk:Tooth scaling

Question
Why isn't tooth scaling harmful to the enamel? It seems counterintuitive that scraping on teeth with metal wouldn't hurt them.

Answer: It is not harmful to the enamel because the the metal instrument is essentially a sharp blade which removes the calcified tartar adhering to the tooth enamel. It is like removing limescale from a glass surface with a razor blade. The enamel is or root surface being scaled is made smoother by the instrument. Only microns of tooth surface are removed. Enamel is the hardest structure in the body and will not be gouged or damaged by a metal scaler.

Why the name?
But why is it called scaling? Why not scraping or cleaning? (I'm a non-native speaker) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.166.25.180 (talk) 18:27, 30 March 2007 (UTC).


 * I can't seem to find an exact answer, but in general I think it's because the scraping chips off small bits of thin-layered calculus which resemble scales on a fish. You can also use the word scale to describe multiple hard outer layers of something, which dental calculus resembles (hard, white patches on the teeth). -Cquan (talk, AMA Desk) 05:16, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

ARTICLE MERGED
Please refer all questions and comments to the talk page of scaling and root planing.  DRosenbach  ( Talk 22:21, 26 November 2007 (UTC)