The aim of this study was to analyze tooth surface roughness and clinical parameters by a systematic review of the literature to compare the efficacy of air polishing with hand or ultrasonic instrumentation during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). This study used a research question based on the PICO method. Bibliographic research was performed using four different databases. For the search of the articles, the work was divided into two parts: the first part analyzed the clinical parameters of air polishing in supportive periodontal therapy, and the second part analyzed the effects of air polishing on hard tissues. Of 164 articles concerning clinical parameters, 49 met the inclusion criteria; from 64 articles concerning hard tissues, it reached 4. Excluding these doubles, 12 were chosen for the literature review: eight RCTs, one retrospective cohort study, and three in vitro studies. The scientific literature has shown that air polishing, scaling, and root planing in supportive periodontal therapy give similar clinical results. However, air polishing seems to preserve the hard tissues of the tooth more than the traditional treatment with ultrasonic or manual instrumentation.

Orthodontic treatment is highly popular for restoring functional and facial esthetics in juveniles and adults. However, the prevalence of biofilm-related complications remains high. The objectives of this review are to 1) identify which of the two professional prophylaxis systems analyzed, rubber cup polishing (RCP) and air-powder polishing (APP), is the most effective in removing bacterial biofilm in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, and 2) the comfort expressed by the patient and any damage caused to the orthodontic device. The search yielded 23 scientific articles, 14 of which were excluded, and 6 met the inclusion criteria. From the studies analyzed, it is, therefore, possible to state that the APP technique is more effective than the RCP technique in removing dental plaque, and treatment is less time-consuming and safer concerning orthodontic devices, as none of the scientific articles examined did APP cause any damage to the orthodontic device or debonding of the brackets.