CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hu-Friedy, a global leader in manufacturing dental instruments and products, today 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 American Eagle XP scalers, 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 sharperwhen brand new and retains this advantage even after simulated use when compared to the leading “sharpen free” scaler brand.
“The goal of this scientific study is to clarify the sharpness of hand scalers. The truth is that coated scalers are not as sharp and actually cannot be sharpened without rendering the scaler useless,” said Ken Serota, president of Hu-Friedy. “For more than 100 years, Hu-Friedy has been dedicated to helping clinicians perform at their best, and we felt it was our duty to dispel the myths and provide objective information about which scaler starts sharper and stays sharper longer. And the research validates that EverEdge is sharper both out of the box and after use.”
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.
“Scalers serve as an extension of dental clinicians’ hands and should not be considered disposable,” added Serota. “Clinicians want to use the most effective and sharpest scaler to achieve the best clinical outcomes, while providing a more comfortable patient experience.”
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 EverEdge scaler maintained superior sharpness.
The study findings align with long term positive feedback from dental hygiene practitioners about the superior clinical performance of EverEdge Scalers. “I love using EverEdge instruments because they stay sharp so much longer than other brands I’ve tried,” said Sherry Burns, RDH, MS. “And, I can restore a perfectly sharp cutting edge with just a few strokes of the sharpening stone. With some of the other scalers out there, you can’t sharpen them and would have to dispose of them. With EverEdge I have the luxury of using what feels like a brand new instrument in less than a minute!”
More information about the sharpness study and the test findings can be found at www.hufriedy.com/theuncoatedtruth.
