OBJECTIVES: Air polishing devices (APDs) are highly effective and time saving in removing plaque and extrinsic staining.The aim of this study was to evaluate histologiclly the immediate effect of two types of APDs on the gingiva.

METHODS: Buccal gingiva in four mongrel dogs was exposed to 5,10 and 20 sec of instumentation applying two different APDs : Handpiece type APD (HP-APD) PROPHYflex® and stand -alone APD (SA-APD) Jetpolisher™ in split mouth design. The exposed gingiva was excised by sharp disection .15 section ,20µm apart, corresponding to the central part of the treated and control untreated gingiva were cut ,stained with H&E and examined morphollogicaly for keratin and epithelial cell layer (ECL) (prickle and basal cell layers) width.Extend of erosion was expressed as a loss of keratin and ECL compared to control.

RESULTS: Microscopic examination presented keratin detachment and disruption of the normal architecture of the ECL .Histomorphometric examination revealed that the erosive changes in the gingiva as caused by both types of APDs possitively correlated with instrumentation time (p<0.001) and type of instrument (p=0.018).Keratin loss was significantly higher for stand –alone type of APD than for the handpiece APD in each time interval(p=0.008).Following exposure for 5 s both tested instruments caused lost of 25% of the ECL . Exposure for 10 s and 20 s revealed significantly greater ECL lost caused by the SA-APD than the HP-APD ( 46%;61% and 33%;44% accordingly) p=0.018 .Exposure to 20 s was the only time interval which presented area of total epithelium erosion with SA-APD causing significantly more (p=0.002)areas of total epithelial erosion than the HP-APD.

CONCLUSION: Exposure of the gingiva to APD causes epithelial erosive changes with severity positively correlated with instrumentation time and design principles of the APD applied.The clinician should be aware of the potential insult of the gingiva when applying APD.

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