Hu-Friedy, a global leader in manufacturing dental instruments and products, released the results of an independent scientific study evaluating the sharpness and edge retention of two scaler brands.
Research was conducted by the Cutlery & Allied Trades Research Association (CATRA), a specialized third-party blade laboratory, to measure the sharpness of Hu-Friedy EverEdge® scalers compared to a coated competitor brand, and to scientifically assess the relative effectiveness of high quality stainless steel compared to coated scalers.
The test results show that Hu-Friedy EverEdge Technology is 30 percent sharper when brand new and retains this advantage even after simulated use when compared to the leading “sharpen free” scaler brand.
Dental hygiene textbooks and educators acknowledge that sharper scalers are critical for effective removal of deposits during oral prophylaxis procedures.
A sharper scaler is better because it is more:
- Clinically effective since calculus is easily removed, not burnished;
- Comfortable for clinicians, causing less hand and wrist fatigue;
- Comfortable for patients due to less pressure needed for calculus removal;
- Efficient as less time is needed to scale
The independent test evaluated two items: sharpness of the scalers when brand new and sharpness after repeated use.
Hu-Friedy EverEdge scalers are made with an advanced stainless steel alloy that provides superior edge-retention. The fine, sharp edge means less hand fatigue for clinicians and greater comfort for patients.
Hu-Friedy’s proprietary processing ensures that the superior edge retention and wear characteristics of EverEdge Technology will last the entire life of the instrument. Since there is not a superficial coating, EverEdge scalers can be resharpened to extend the useful life.
During the research, the blade of each instrument was tested by repeatedly pushing it into a silicone test strip, impregnated with abrasive particles to simulate wear. This method was developed by CATRA, the leading independent testing organization that has served the metal industry for decades. The amount of force required to push the blade into the test strip was measured to assess initial sharpness. Then, the blades of each instrument also were subjected to multiple strokes on the same test strip to simulate wear, and the blades were retested to assess edge durability.
The results concluded that EverEdge scalers require less force to make their initial cut and, therefore, are sharper out of the box than the competitor. After 500 strokes through the test media, the Hu-Friedy EverEdge scaler maintained superior sharpness.
See more information about the sharpness study and the test findings.
