Ultrasonic Scaler Used by Dental Hygienists

[DeltaOrionis]

Hello,

I was already affected with tinnitus and coping pretty well.

Unfortunately, worry and anxiety started again, when last week I had to do a session of dental hygiene, in which the guy used a device called ultrasonic scaler to clean my teeth. The whole operation took about 15-25 minutes I'd say, with various breaks to rinse my mouth.

The problem is, that the operation was very loud in my head, at least to me: this ultrasonic scaler occasionally sends very high pitch sounds / vibrations directly to your skull, especially when cleaning the rear teeth and, while I was listening to music with in-ears during the whole thing, it obviously didn't stop anything since the sound was traveling internally, instead I think it made it worse and even more distressing.

Now it seems that my tinnitus changed (more high pitch) and louder, I'm concerned that the ultrasonic scaler could have caused damage, but maybe it's just the paranoia associated with the operation.

For one thing, I didn't experience any ear pain during the cleaning, just extreme distress due to the annoying sounds. Afterwards, I didn't notice any ill effect to my hearing (no muffled earing, no pain, no ear discomfort), BUT I started monitoring and worrying about my tinnitus again, that's for sure.

So what do you think?

Can a dental hygiene session have damaged my ears or is it more likely that I'm stressing about it too much, causing the tinnitus change / spike?

Does anyone have experience with ultrasonic cleaning and reported no ill effects?

 

[Ed209]

I've had 4 of these sessions this year as I'm on Denplan. I know exactly what you are talking about, but I highly doubt it's damaging. I'd suspect you are unnecessarily worrying about it which is making you anxious. In turn, this is affecting your tinnitus.

Sounds to me like you are back in that vicious circle of monitoring T. It's making you anxious which is then making you monitor the sound even more.

You need to try and relax; calm your CNS down.

 

[Sam Bridge]

I had a session of this two weeks ago and nothing changed.

 

[Ed209]

I had a session of this two weeks ago and nothing changed.

I had no change either.

 

[Sam Bridge]

I had no change either.

I was £55 down though! Not bad for 20 minutes work being a dentist lol.

 

[DeltaOrionis]

Thank you a lot for your answers, I'm trying to calm down and your reassuring support really helps.

Unfortunately I'm still worried I may have caused damage, especially because I was using in-ear earplugs playing music all the time (to try to distract me from the operation) that caused the occlusion effect, making the ultrasonic scaler sound even worse in my head.

Can the occlusion effect actually make the sound louder and more harming, or is it only a perception thing (i.e. in-ears cause me to perceive the internal sounds louder, but don't actually make them louder and more harming)?

 

[Foncky]

I'm having a lot of dental work these days. Very unfortunate, because my H is severe (as is my T).

I had an ultrasonic cleaning a month ago. I found it painful, but not as painful as a drill.

I wore earmuffs because I realized that the ultrasounds mostly came to my ears by the aerial way, not so much by bone conduction. This is exactly the opposite with the drill.

My ears were not really fine after the cleaning but no permanent damage was done, I'm sure you'll be ok. But don't wear earplugs or earmuffs if you have to get some drilling.

 

[BBQBLISS]

YES my T started with a dental ultrasonic teeth cleanng. My brain is still ringing today amd it is 3 years later!!! It is not an ear issue but a nerve damage issue. Can anyone help?

 

[Ecip]

Last spike I had was exacerbated by this cleaner. Had a restless night that night.
Don't want to do it again. She'll just have to scrape bit by bit by hand.

 

[Joella Drury]

I have had tennitus for 5 years and go to the dentist every six months to have my teeth cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaner - usually no problems. Last week however I got a huge spike in the sound of my tennitus - sounded like jackhammers 24/7 and had been so stresed and anxious all week. Went to my Ear Clinic to have my ears cleaned, saw my GP for sleeping tablets (first time ever but had had no sleep for four nights) made an appt with a new ENT specialist (who has tennitus) and sought a second opinion from another dentist as I was told I had two cavities - the new dentist could not see any - I would have had the tooth removed - no drilling. He suggested I see a dental hygienist - he will manually clean my teeth - takes longer- but no noise. The spike in sound will abate but you need to be pro-active and do things that psychologically puts your mind at ease.

 

[KOBasel]

I'm on a pursuit to find this out myself. I have never had tinnitus or noticed it. Went to dentist on Nov. 1 for a teeth cleaning. The hygienist was using an ultrasonic scaler. When she cleaned my back molars on the right side, it was so loud in my right ear - sounded super loud in that right ear like she was doing the procedure inside my ear. On the left side I had no problems. I asked why it was so loud afterwards, it was really uncomfortably loud on that right side. She said she would ask the dentist. He came in and asked me if I have had any ear damage. To which I responded NO. Then he explained that I have tinnitus. I had never heard of it before then, but ever since that visit I have had non-stop ringing coming from my right ear at least I think it is from the right ear... I have never experienced that before "ever", so I didn't have tinnitus, but this procedure sure enough created it for me. Now I'm trying to figure out cause and what to do... The other thing to which I think he was wrong, he described that this event would be a result of me already having tinnitus (which I haven't experienced ever) and that it could be related to burnout at work. I highly doubt that to be the case - recently finished a nice 8 week holiday....
Any help is welcome

 

[Sarah214]

There should be a mandatory warning about the risks involved with getting your teeth cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler. I didn't know there were risks. I had my teeth cleaned with ultrasonic scaling last month. During the cleaning of a molar, I experienced sharp pain in my ear. That evening my ear began to ring with a high pitch annoying ring that has been continual now for a month straight. I did not have tinnitus before the cleaning. It was definitely caused by the ultrasonic scaler when it was used on my molar. I regret getting my teeth cleaned as I worry that the tinnitus is permanent.

 

[EkkoMusic]

New study here:

Tinnitus following treatment with ultrasonic scaler

 

[RocketJSquirrel]

Here's a twist on this topic. Today I had my teeth scaled ultrasonically. I really dislike the scaler, but hygienists seem to like it and I guess the session goes faster than with manual scaling. I tolerate it because it doesn't spike my tinnitus, I just find it annoying.

What really bothered me was the vacuum device that has been in use since the COVID-19 pandemic! This is to suck away the patient's exhalations which might contain contagions. That vacuum was really loud in my left ear. I asked the hygienist whether she could turn it down, and she did. Probably from 100% to 50%. That was much more tolerable.

It never occurred to me to bring earplugs to the dentist, because earplugs can't prevent bone conduction. But I could have used one to mute the vacuum. I'll remember that for next time.