This would result in pain, muscle fatigue, and inflammation of the ligaments and nerves of the wrist. This refers to the placement of the working end of the instrument in the correct relationship to the tooth. This is the angle formed by the plane of the tooth surface and the plane of the face of the blade. Once in the depth of the pocket or sulcus, the blade is opened 45 to 90 degrees for working strokes. This is the action of the working end on an instrument as it is moved across a tooth surface.
Exploratory strokes provide light tactile feedback from the instrument tip.
Working strokes provide controlled pressure against a tooth surface using an appropriate cutting angulation. Scaling strokes are short pulling strokes made with firm pressure to remove increment from root and enamel surfaces. Root planning strokes are made to remove deposits and smooth the root surface. Working strokes are ideally a series of overlapping strokes covering the entire tooth surface. The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. David Isaacs, in editing this lecture.