Evaluation of a New Ultrasonic Insert for Prosthodontic Preparation

Purpose: This paper describes a new ultrasonic instrument (tipholder DB1 with crown prep tip inserts) designed to optimize prosthodontic margin repositioning and finishing. Materials and Methods: The insert movement was assessed, and it was demonstrated that tipholder DB1 provides its inserts with an elliptical-like movement, making the entire insert surface able to cut. Then, 20 extracted teeth were prepared using tipholder DB1, sonic instruments, and traditional drills. Dental surface roughness produced using each of the three tools was measured using a roughness tester. Results were compared using univariate analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: The roughness produced using tipholder DB1 with crown prep insert presented no statistically significant differences compared to the roughness produced using sonic instruments and traditional drills. Conclusion: Tipholder DB1 with crown prep inserts is a promising treatment for margin repositioning and finishing.