by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man wrote,
I am seeking information about ultrasonic dental scaling and hearing damage.
In November 2011, I experienced my first ultrasonic scaling and immediately felt the worst pain in my inner ear ever. After leaving the dentist I had fullness in my ears and constant tinnitus that continues to this day. For the first month I experienced distortion of familiar sounds and the inability the stereo-locate sound sources like birds in trees or automobiles approaching. Cars passing on a gravel road now sounded like a sheet of aluminum being dragged edgewise on asphalt and I no longer heard birds singing in the morning, just the constant ringing in my ears.
I have been a musician since my teens and after this incident it became near impossible to hear certain notes, others made my ears hurt and my uncle who played violin with me complained that I was doing something wrong when I was trying to accompany him. In addition, the constant ringing in my ears has undermined my sitting meditation practice to the point that I can no longer sit for an hour at a time because I get frustrated about the noise in my head.
Another man wrote,
Is noise-induced trauma from ultrasonic teeth cleaning tools usually temporary—even if your ears are already damaged by medications and infection?
The noise I experienced today was rather brief, but it really rattled my ears. The tool’s ultrasonic sound waves didn’t make much noise until it came into contact with the third tooth or so from the back (top teeth). The sound was at just the right pitch and intensity to rattle my ear(s). The same thing happened on the other side of my mouth side too. Other than those brief moments, I had no problems. The hygienist instructed me to wear ear plugs the next time, but I am concerned about sound transmission through the skull.
I am concerned that my ears may not recover. My tinnitus is not loud, but the trauma may have aggravated some hyperacusis. I hope and pray the tinnitus dies down over the next few days.
He added,
It’s day four, and my ears are not doing good. ’I’ve never seen them this sensitive before. I cant even watch my hand held DVD player without the sound (no ear phones) causing tinnitus and hyperacusis.
I am very concerned, and frankly, I am scared to death. Ringing in the ears is one thing, but extreme sound sensitivity is another. What can I do to help my situation? Listen to pink noise for a few minutes each day?
I asked this second man, “Were the teeth that rattled your ears teeth that had fillings in them? Or teeth that had root canals? I’m wondering if there was something peculiar about those particular teeth—since no other teeth bothered you.”
He replied,
Yes, those teeth have fillings, and a few have crowns. The ear discomfort started around # 3 & 4, and # 13 & 14. Truthfully, I don’t recall any ear discomfort while cleaning the lower teeth, but they have crowns and fillings as well, and a three tooth bridge on the left side.
I’ve never looked into ultrasonic tooth cleaning and resulting ear problems—tinnitus, hyperacusis or hearing loss. If anyone reading this has a story to share, I’d love to hear it. What happened to you and what were the results?
This is a report from Sweden. In May 27, 2010 I was injured when a student used ultrasonic cleaning without all basic knowledge. This incident can be found at this link (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=2011564)
I also felt the worst pain in my right inner ear ever when the ultrasonic tip wrongly was placed on the upper right molar. In this case the tip movement (energy) was working against and hit the tooth surface which can be compared to a hammer hitting against the tooth. This injury is not so difficult to explain when this rather new hearing aid is explained. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundBite_Hearing_System)
This accident has destroyed my life with hearing loss and angry tinnitus in my right ear.
(I hope will understand my English)
/regards Anders
I had a cleaning yesterday. I noticed when the ultrasonic scaler was used on upper left wisdom molar a loud noise in my ear. It won’t go away. The dentist must have hit a nerve. Now I can say with certainty this is the real cause to tinnitus.
Can I ask do you still have tinnitus from this
Incident ?
Same.. I had a cleaning and now it’s hard to hear birds outside etc. the bottom right molar in the back.. he had the strength higher than anything I’ve felt before
I have hyperaccusis and tinnitus and a few seconds of ultrasonic cleaning of an implant caused my ears to hurt and my hyperacususis worsened. It’s effect has grown less, but is still not completely gone after one month. My denstist knew about my hearing problem and used the mehtod anyway, because apparently there is no alternative because the gums are too tight around the implant. I feel betrayed becasue I explained my problem before we decided it would be possible for me to get an implant. The dentist took extra time inserting the implant and set te drill to the lowest possible speed. And now this. It is supposed to be done every 6 month. I am afraid this will destroy my ears in no time.
Here is a study about the hazards of ultrasonic scaling.
http://reviewsofprogress.org/UploadedArticle/25.pdf
v)Auditory
Ultrasonic scalers may be a potential hazard to the auditory system of both clinicians and patients.
Damage to operator hearing is possible through airborne subharmonics of the ultrasonic scaler. For the patient, damage can occur through the transmission of ultrasound through tooth contact to the inner ear via the bones of the skull. This hazard is a possibility during scaling of the molar teeth.
Tinnitus is an early sign of hearing loss and may occur following ultrasonic scaling. Investigations
were conducted into the effects of ultrasonic scaling on 20 people for 5 min; half of the subjects experienced temporary shifts in hearing threshold or tinnitus or both.
A small number of dentists have experienced tinnitus or numbness of the ears after the prolonged use of ultrasonic scalers, which indicates a small potential risk to hearing. however, this was not significant when compared to the normal population. In summary, the ultrasonic scaler has been shown to cause no permanent harm to hearing through airborne noise
I do not like these devices either. Every time I have ultrasonic cleaning done, and the instrument contacts my rear molar, the sound, which hurts, travels INTERNALLY straight from my jaw to my ear. Earplugs will not stop that. The last time was about 2 weeks ago, and if I hadn’t put my hand up and stopped the dentist, I’m concerned that I could have had serious hearing loss. This should not be the price anyone has to pay for clean teeth.
I want to give some more facts about the case in Sweden.
A practicing dental hygienist student did not understand the instructions for the ultrasonic instrument and it led to an incorrect use that caused a hearing damage with tinnitus as a symptom.
The instruction manual (FB-439) for the ultrasonic instrument says:
EMS Piezon instruments vibrate in a controlled back and forth oscillation.
During treatment, always hold the instrument tangentially to the tooth surface.
Do not direct the instrument straight to the enamel surface.
The fault occurred when the distal surface on the upper right wisdom tooth was scaled. The backward oscillation was directed straight toward this surface. This caused great pain and an indescribable loud noise with a low frequency in my right ear (not the normally high pitch sound). The student thought she directed the instrument away from the tooth surface and therefore fulfilled the instructions.
The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden who investigated this case, says that hearing damage cannot occur, and therefore neither is wrong to use the instrument in the way it was done even though it is contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Electro Medical Systems (EMS), the manufacturer, sees no relationship between the student’s incorrect method of use and deleterious effects on hearing and refers to the literature (2003) which says that more must be done to identify potential risks to the patient’s hearing.
(EMS responded March 2014)
The misaligned ultrasonic instrument transferred vibrations in the same manner as the hearing aid (SoundBite) but the electrical power is about 1000 times higher.
Touching an upper rear molar with the oscillating part of the electric toothbrush (the hard plastic) illustrates how effectively the vibrations are transferred to nearest inner ear.
Lack of education caused this incident which destroyed my hearing in right ear.
The investigation shows that the knowledge is low and that much must be done so that dentistry learns to respect people’s hearing and health. It is also important that ALL cases are reported to authorities when some form of hearing damage occurred in ultrasonic dental treatment.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/Detail.CFM?MDRFOI__ID=229088
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=2011564
I am petrified after reading these alarming stories , which now are shedding light on what I have been going through for the past 6 day’s. I went for a routine cleaning /scaling with my dental hygienist on Tuesday at 10:00 am , by 2:00 pm I began experiencing a mild discomfort in my left ear .By 4:00 pm the discomfort turned into an unbearable throbbing like pain.As I was driving home confusion began setting in as to whether or not I should drive myself to Emergency or just go home and lay down on effected side. I kept saying to myself It will pass ,It will pass ,but instead It only got more painful and untolerable.I decided at that point that I should go to nearest walk-in clinic to my house.The attending physician immediately realised my discomfort and distress , upon checking me out thoroughly he said I have a throat infection as well as an ear infection , the pain was so intense that I was drooling saliva. He suggested he called an Ambulance for me at that time because he actually thought that I may be suffering from a minor stroke ,which scared the daylights out of me. But being a former Paramedic I understood the signs and symptoms of such a condition and decided not to be transported by ambulance. I was given 2 types of anti-biotics , one for my throat infection and the other anti-biotic ear drops. I immediately went home and began both meds had a nap and prayed and hoped for the best. After a four day regime of meds the condition did not improve . My throat infection cleared the pain and throbbing in my ear ceased but my hearing did not come back. The sound is dillusional and distorted , sounds come from everywhere and are freeking me out.I followed up with my family physician on Friday and he is arranging an appointment for me with ENT ,as well as a MRI of effected ear. I was placed on a 5 day prednisone .Now I can only hope and pray that after each passing hour It may possibly return . I give myself false hope thinking If I plug my nose and blow or blow my nose hard enough that the sound which I have been used to all my life will all of a sudden reappear.
Joseph DeGiorgio
maltese_falcon4@hotmail.com
I had an elemis biotec treatment which uses ultrasonic waves and causes a high pitched sound when near your ear which has resulted in tinnitus in both my ears. Has anyone else experienced this?
On 10/21/15 I had the gums between my two front teeth planed/scaled ultrasonically.
During the procedure, a very loud frequency sound shot from my tooth into my left ear.
Today is 11/2/15 and I’ve had nonstop high frequency tinnitus in my left ear as a result.
Had I known the risks, I NEVER would have allowed the dentist to do this procedure.
I am hoping the ringing in my left ear will get better soon, but no change as of yet.
If anyone has any recommendations for this type of injury, I’m all ears…
Pulsatile tinnitus started after crown replacement of right lower molar accompanied with hearing loss in 500-2,000 hz.
I had an ultrasonic cleaning over six months ago, and have had tinnitus in my right ear (the one that never gave me problems before) at around 8k ever since. It’s reprehensible that no information on this is volunteered by the orthodontic community.
Yes my ears have been ringing SINCE the ultrasonic teeth cleaning. (2 years) I believe our nerves were charged or polarized. And the remedy lies in a opposite charge or negative polarization. Or removing the metal crowns.
If someone could persuade the manufactrurers that their sonic products are responsible, maybe their engineers could discover a remedy.
Hi Mitch:
You give an interesting solution, however, I doubt that is what happened, so it is unlikely to work.
Complain to the manufacturer (and threaten a lawsuit) if they don’t fix their products so they don’t cause tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
This is an article where scientists beleive they can alter the brain waves with ultrasonic machines. It also mentions ultrasonic teeth cleaning. The ringing is not ears, it is nerves. Our nerves were damaged. Or our nerves are still stimulated and cannot stop ringing without a counter stimulation!
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2008-10-ultrasound-shown-exert-remote-brain.html
Hi Neil, I presume your nerves are not ringing?
Read work by Susan Shore from the university of Mitchigan. Indeed its famaged facial nerves that are ‘ringing’ by crossing over in the dorsal cochlear and replacing auditory nerve function. Its not the ear, which is why it will take time to get a remedy given the ENTs immediate hearing aid suggestion vs facial nerve blocks. Hyperactive facial nerves from denistry or sound vibration plus noise damage. This is why the one guy gets it and others dont, despite same music convcert.. Its also why you can chamge pitch by clenching jaw or moving neck… Sensory nerve basically crossing over to auditory function. Read the work done as doubt the PhD guy will ever get this hence why we always take a step backwards
Hi David:
In somatosensory tinnitus, it is true that various facial nerves do send messages to the dorsal cochlear nucleus where multitasking neurons there can send non-auditory signals to the auditory centers for processing. That is why, for example, one man who rubs the skin behind his ear hears a doorbell ringing.
In dentistry, do you know that ultrasonic tooth cleaning hyper-activates the facial nerves? I can see it happening to the dental nerves of course.
And you are correct that clenching your teeth or turning your neck can increase your tinnitus through these somatosensory means.
And yes, the Ph.D. guy does get it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Mitch:
This article is not talking about ultrasound and tinnitus, but how it works in your brain. And it’s not the nerves that are damaged, nor the inner ears as such. Rather, tinnitus originates in the brain’s auditory and other circuits. So you are barking up the wrong tree if you are trying to make ultrasonic tooth cleaning result it damaged nerves. That’s not how it works.
And no, my “nerves” are not ringing. I, like everyone else, hear tinnitus in the auditory circuits in our brains.
Cordially,
Neil
My name is Peter Ottewell I had the same result as Steve Oakley after having ultra sonic cleaning (I live in Australia). I felt the pain in the inner ear but didnt stop the dentist quick enough. The sound goes to the cochlear through the bone and damages the small hairs causing tinnitus and balance problems. The small hairs being damaged start sending wrong sound and balance signals to the brain. Ultra sonics should be banned asap, the clue is in the name ultra sonic. I tried complaining to authorities but got philibustered alot. No dentist really wants to hear about this problem for obvious reasons.
Hello please can u say what exactly causes Tinnitus when it happend because of dental cleaning ???
Hi Evelina:
I don’t know exactly myself, but tinnitus is a result of overactivity of the neurons in parts of your auditory system. Tinnitus is made worse by your emotional/psychological state.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil!
But more likely it is inner ear hair cellls or nerve damage? Or you not sure?
Hi Evelina:
I’m not sure there is any actual damage–but it sure over-activated the neurons in some parts of your brain.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil, thank you so much. Then any idea how to slow down the hyoeractive heurons in brain or auditory system caused by ultrasonuc dental cleaning?? Btw from what I heard many people got not only tinnitus after such cleaning but also heari g loss – so you would still think it is not actusll damagr to the inner ear hair or nerve ? I also felt I got some of Hyperacusis.
Many thanks, Evelina
Hi Evelina:
I don’t know much about ultrasonic tooth cleaning and it’s effects and how to specifically treat the results. But I can tell you that there are two neurotransmitters that keep your auditory circuits in proper balance so you don’t have tinnitus.
The workhorse transmitters in the cochlea and auditory nerve are the inhibitory (or calming) neurotransmitter, GABA, and the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate. These two chemicals must be kept in balance for healthy hearing and cognition. Most tinnitus cases are created due to hearing loss. When this happens, inhibitory neurotransmitter release is substantially reduced and excitatory neurotransmitters dominate.
Thus when you have your auditory system “over excited”, taking GABA (gamma-amino-butyric-acid) will help calm things down and get them into balance again. So I’d suggest you investigate taking GABA to calm down your tinnitus.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you also get hearing loss (as evidenced by the tinnitus that typically accompanies hearing loss). I just don’t know a lot about ultrasonics and tinnitus at this time so I don’t know the mechanism by which hearing loss from this cause occurs.
Cordially,
Neil
I also had a cleaning with thst device. And. My ears buzing.aftef that..but I tod myself it couldn’t be. But I allesys had a feeling it was from that. That dr
Is not even there anymore. I have it constantly. That is why I am on this site. It’s 4 30 a..m and woke up from buzzing in my ears. Is there any way to stop the nois.
Hi Daisy:
The buzzing sounds you are hearing is called tinnitus. There is no medical treatment that stops tinnitus although doctors prescribe several different drugs in their attempts to control it.
The best way to successfully deal with tinnitus is to treat it as a totally unimportant background sound that is safe to ignore, then ignore it by focusing on things other that your tinnitus. When you do this, in time it will fade away into the background and you may not hear it for hours on end, or it may disappear entirely.
The worst thing you can do is to treat it as a threat to your well-being and thus worry about it. This only makes it worse and it likely will become permanent.
If you have trouble sleeping because of your tinnitus, put on some background sounds to give your brain something real to listen to. Many people find that just a fan running in their bedroom is all it takes, or download recording of white or pink noise, or better yet water sounds like waves on the beach, or a babbling book or fountain, or waterfall sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
I had bad tinnitus for 10 years and had adjusted. After a root canal i had an ultrasonic clean. My tinnitus spiked 24 hours later. Its now 69 decibels and i cant mask it with any noise. 3 years on its the same. Do NOT have dental work when you have tinnitus. It destoysmwhatever you have left. Would love to go back in time. The noise goesndirect to cochlear through the bone and so loud and high pitched. They need to be banned asap
I too am experiencing tinnitus although not as loud, since having a sonic rootplaning done. The one tooth that caused the high pitched and very loud sound to resonate in my skull was a lower molar about third from the back. I only notice it when it is very quiet and my neck position does make a difference but it seems to be getting worse. I have heard about re- training your ears with soft music but am dubious. More research needs to be done as my periodontist claimed it was impossible and was a coincidence. I have noticed inner balance problems and noises seem louder than they used to be to the point that someone talking loud into my ear is painful. This is a bad news for an audiophile and musician who enjoys live music on a regular basis.
Hey Guys! I Have Had Tinnitus For The Last Ten Years. Over Time, I Too Have Adjusted. I have had some tooth and gum issues and some time back I had that ultrasonic cleaning which didn’t bother my existing “T”. Just recently, 1/20/17 I had another Ultrasonic Cleaning and this time it affected it and my head has been ringing for a month straight! I will not let my dentist use this instrument ever again! You have to remember, this is your right and your silence.
I started having tinnitus continuously about 7 months ago, at 12K Hz. Finally it started to abate, with occasional sleep-disrupting flare-ups. Today, a sonicator was used on me at the dentist, and I am back to full force tinnitus. I, too will never let it be used on me again. I knew as I was hearing the high pitch of the instrument that I was in trouble. Use of headphones should be required by law with this instrument, as well as warning patients.
Has anyone experience an increase in tinnitus when using a Sonicare electric toothbrush or even an Oral B?
2 weeks ago, my hygienist used an ultrasonic scaler on my back molar for the first time. I had never heard of it, nor did she convey any possible side effects, she just said it was a more effective method of scaling. I stopped her immediately due to the pain and she numbed my mouth before proceeding. I had pain in my upper jaw for a few days following but I don’t recall immediate hearing loss. I use a waterpik daily and she suggested I spend a little extra time on that spot as I have a deep pocket there. A few days ago I woke up with very muffled hearing in my right ear. No pain. It was very annoying but went away the next day. This morning I again woke with a hearing issue and I thought about what might have caused it and realised it could be related to the extra waterpik time I spent on that tooth. Boh nights prior to waking up with hearing issues I spent considerable time in that area with the waterpik. That’s when I Googled it and found this forum thread. I’m currently waiting for a call back from my hygienist. I don’t have a ringing but a constant sounds similar to that if an airplane overhead. Or a big diesel truck idling outside my house. After reading these comments it seems to be a different scenario with the same cause, and aggravated by the use of the waterpik.
Hi Melody:
From what you describe, it doesn’t sound like the ultrasound caused your tinnitus, or rather your new tinnitus sound–the airplane sound or truck idling sound. It also seems that using the WaterPik and your hearing loss are somehow related.
I’ve been thinking about how using a WaterPik could possibly result in having hearing loss the next day. The only thing I can think of that might possibly do this is if the jet from the WaterPik was getting in the back of your throat and into the opening of your Eustachian tubes. If your Eustachian tube and middle ear become filled with fluid or just water in your case, the bones in your middle ear can’t vibrate the way they can in air, and you end up with a temporary conductive hearing loss. Once the water drains out, then your hearing returns to normal. Do you think this is possibly what is happening in your case?
Cordially,
Neil
I had a routine tooth cleaning yesterday with an ultrasonic plague remover. The hygentist hit my back moler for far too long and caused a massive high pitch noise that rattled my ear. I’ve had this same cleaning multiple times with the same hygentist, and never knew of the possible complications with these devices. So she carried on. Last night I notice that my hearing in my left ear is down atleast 40% and I have a terrible high pitch ringing in my ear. I went to bed hoping that it would get better overnight, but it’s almost worse this morning. I’m beside myself right now and going to call the dentist when they open today. I hope this gets better with time, and it should be MANDATORY that everyone is explained the risks of this type of plague removal. This could be permanent for me, just to save the dentist some time cleaning my teeth.
I wanted to follow up on my comment 9 days later. The ringing persisted for over a week at a very high level, but as of today the ringing has all but ceased. I consider myself very lucky that the damage was not permanent.
Hi Matt:
Great. If you don’t mind, please report back in another week or so and let us know whether your tinnitus has stayed away or what it is doing then. I want to know whether this is a “one-day wonder”, or it is permanently gone away.
Cordially,
Neil
I went to to the dentist last week for a check up and he decided I needed a deep clean. After 1 Day I started going deaf in my left ear and getting terrible pains in my ear and jaw. Will the pain go and will my hearing come back completely am a little worried it’s been 6 days now!
Hi Chandan:
I really don’t know. All I’ve got to go on is what people have posted here.
Cordially,
Neil
I have tinnitus and hearing loss from being treated with radiation (for nasopharyngeal carcinoma) and playing electric guitar for 50 yrs. I have used an electric toothbrush for 30+ yrs and never thought about making a connection until a few weeks ago when I started experiencing ringing (around 1kHz with a major 3rd harmonic) during and after using the same electric toothbrush. Add to this a failed tympostamy about a year ago which is another story and factor in the hearing loss and tinnitus, and it’s very frustrating to say the least . Bottom line – I’m going to stop using the electric toothbrush.
Hi Randall:
Your toothbrush isn’t ultrasonic is it? I’ve never heard of a plain electric toothbrush causing tinnitus.
How long does the tinnitus last after using your toothbrush before it drops back to its “normal” level?
Cordially,
Neil
While using Sonicare toothbrush for over 3 years everything was fine. But recently during use I heard a pop in my left ear. Same day I heard ringing in ear and by next morning had sudden hearing loss in left ear. Went to ER and was put on steroids. Was completely feag in left ear but regained my hearing after 8 days on steroids. I no longer use Sonicare and brush teeth manually. I think Sonicare toothbrush had something to do with my hearing loss
Hello there. Two days ago I had the ultrasonic cleaning for the first time. I didn’t know what was going on at first, because I had only ever had manual cleaning done before. I am a regular patient at my clinic, but I was not asked or consulted before hand about the change from manual to ultrasonic plaque removal. About one minute in, I heard an intense high pitched sound and jolted. My hygienist told me she was sorry but could not adjust the frequency. A minute later I jolted from an even more intense high pitched sound -and my hygienist said that was normal. The sound was blood-curdling, and it was a deep pain as if I could feel it in my brain. I suggested I put my headphones in to block the sound and tried a third time. I jolted again because of the painful noise, and finally the hygienist explained that the noise can be transmitted by vibrating the bones in the jaw, and I then realized that using earbuds to block the sound from the aerial pathway was therefore useless. I couldn’t take anymore noise, so she proceeded with a manual scaling implement. This series of events transpired in 5 minutes or less.
Immediately after my treatment I had hearing problems. I didn’t hear someone asking me to move out of their way until at least three times they asked me…after realizing that someone was trying to get my attention -my echoic memory went back in time and realized that I had heard a very low level sound a few seconds earlier, and it was that person saying “excuse me” twice.
Upon walking outside the clinic I immediately felt disoriented. Traffic/cars approaching sounded very muffled and I had to exert effort to hear my surroundings. The pedestrian crosswalk chirp was very quiet. Birds sounded like they had a deeper caw. I wonder if I lost some of my high pitch processing cells.
Later that night, I also got a nose bleed which is extremely rare for me.
On top of that, I have developed a very high-pitched sounding tinnitus. It feels like there is pressure in my ears, and the constant ringing makes it hard to hear speech. I can no longer listen to music or watch tv as it exacerbates the ringing.
I feel the damage I got is different than the damage that may occur from noisy environments (like at a concert) because it was only a selective frequency (that of the ultrasonic tool) that disrupted my hearing, and not a range of frequencies. Also I am unsure the relation between loudness (decibels) and frequency (hertz) and if hearing loss can occur from exposure to a certain pitch. In my research I have read that loudness is the main culprit for noise induced hearing loss -but my sensation was more a piercing wincing pitch more than volume.
One further point to make is that I am recovering from a cold. I had a cold that started over a week ago and was free of congestion upon going for my dental cleaning. However, I still had a very very slight residual cough, meaning that perhaps I was not fully healed from my cold, and the ultrasonic device may have interacted with the slight/undetectable? congestion that may have been present in my ears. I did not have any tinnitus prior to my appointment though, and in general I have never suffered from the symptoms.
Today I went to the doctor to have my ears checked and I was told I have fluid in my ears. The doctor didn’t think this was caused by ultrasonic device. He will be helping to monitor my ears and my hearing throughout the next weeks. I wonder if fluid could have been present during my appointment, and maybe could have affected the way the ultrasonic device resonated/vibrated. In this case, using an ultrasonic scaling device should be contraindicated with individuals who are sick, and should require a consultation before use upon every visit.
At this point I don’t know if I have high-pitch hearing loss or perhaps the induced tinnitus creates a disruption in hearing (hard to discriminate locations, speech etc).
It is very hard to sleep at night because the high pitched ringing in my ears is very loud. This is so upsetting. A person should not have to face this risk by getting a simple dental cleaning done.
Hi Lisa:
Thanks for your story. I’m sure it will warn others to be very careful when considering whether to allow ultrasonic tooth cleaning. I tell my dental hygienist EVERY time to make sure she doesn’t use any ultrasonic devices.
Hearing loss can occur at one frequency–it doesn’t have to be all across the frequency spectrum. In fact, pretty well everyone with noise trauma has hearing loss around 4,000 Hz to begin with. This shows up as the typical “noise notch” (that’s what they call it) on your audiogram.
However, in your case, the frequency was in very high pitched–so instead of showing up on a conventional audiogram (that only tests up to 8,000 Hz), it will only show up on an audiogram that tests you up to the highest frequencies you can hear (typically around 20,000 Hz). So you can be given a clean bill of health for hearing, and still have a massive hearing loss in the high frequencies where they don’t test.
When you hear everything muffled like you did after leaving the dentist’s office, you KNOW you suffered a temporary threshold shift. In other words you have some degree of temporary hearing loss. If it persists, then it becomes a permanent hearing loss.
Since tinnitus very often is at a frequency near your greatest hearing loss, if you have a very high-frequency loss, you can expect your tinnitus to be a very high-frequency sound.
What you have said is consistent with what I know of ultrasonic equipment damaging your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Has anyone had substantial ringing in the ears from using a Kipozi sonic toothbrush?
The ringing is so bad and curious as to how long it will be until it subsides.
Reading this blog tonight, and ready o ditch my Sonicare, I searched this and found that most “sonic” toothbrushes on the market i.e. Phillips, Sonicare, are NOT “ULTRASONIC” which vibrate at much higher frequencies and usually do not have bristles. Good luck!
I have the same experience after my teeth were cleaned with the “Cavatron” I remember the hygienist saying she was using the Cavatron because it sounded like a funny name. However I was not given any warning or ear plugs, (but after seeing posts that it does not protect any way), there was NO informed consent to this procedure. She did have me sign something to the laser procedure she did but nothing on the loud piercing noise that would give me a ringing and pain in my ears!! This is upsetting seeing all of the damage yet these companies can keep making these machines with no warning, no information? I never ever would have agreed to this procedure. Where are the lawsuits? Why are the hygienists, tolerating this, why are the patients not informed?
I haven’t heard anyone mention dental drilling as related to tinnitus as this quote from an article I read “the high-pitched noise of dental drills is the most prominent way tinnitus can be caused or worsened. When the dentist is drilling in teeth, the sound is transmitted by bone conduction directly into the inner ear. It sounds much louder than it normally would because bone conduction has essentially no loss of intensity over short distances.” This certainly is a much more common exposure for most of us who have cavities . The article says to ask the dentist to drill in short spurts, 5 seconds on and 10 seconds off. I haven’t seen my dentist yet to discuss but am canceling my cleaning next week if they don’t agree to manual cleaning.
Hi Lori:
I’ve never found dental drilling to make my tinnitus worse and I’ve had a lot of dental work over the years. You might want to make a distinction between drilling on the upper teeth–where there is a more direct connection for bone conduction as compared to the lower teeth–which do not have that direct connection via bone conduction as the sound vibrations need to go through the jaw joint which attenuates the intensity of the sound vibrations to some degree.
Cordially,
Neil
I had a cleaning this morning where the hygienist used an ultrasonic pick to clean my teeth. She used it for the entire cleaning and it was a rather intense cleaning due to the buildup on my teeth. The device was quite loud when it was in my mouth, which I realized when she first turned it on and started the cleaning.
However, it wasn’t until about an hour ago that I got a ringing in my ears – predominantly my left – that I soon recognized to be similar in tone to what I felt from the pick. Since then the ringing has persisted and I’ve begun to genuinely worry it’s tinnitus.
I’ve had multiple ear infections in my life, but my ears were perfectly fine when I went in and I haven’t had an ear infection since 3 years ago. I’ve also never had a permanent ringing in my ears, only occasionally hearing a ringing noise that would quickly subside, which I believe is relatively common.
I believe this is the first and only time I’ve had a cleaning with this device, especially one so prolonged. I’m desperately hoping when I wake up tomorrow the ringing is gone.
Is it possible this may be permanent? I’ve heard about ways of combating the wavelengths of the tinnitus to treat it, but are there other common treatments for this? Is it possible it will subside?
Thanks,
Jake
Hi Jake:
There’s always a chance that your tinnitus will subside, but you have to give it time. You may find it goes away in a day or two, or to takes several months to slowly fade away. And there is always the chance it proves to be permanent.
There are a number of ways to treat tinnitus. Some work for some people and others for other people. There is no one method that works for everyone. So you have to try things and see what works for you. My book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” explains all the credible methods. It also explains that because tinnitus has a emotional/psychological component, you also have to be involved in any treatment and a lot of your success is up to you because you have to change you way of viewing your tinnitus.
You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your response Neil. The ringing is still there but it seems to have lightened up since last night and is shifting from ear to ear periodically. Hopefully it will go away with time.
I’m supposed to be going back to the dentist on Monday to have my bottom left wisdom tooth filled for a cavity, but I worry this might aggravate the tinnitus and make it worse. Do you think I should wait some time before getting the filling to see if the ringing gets any better before I get more work done?
Hi Jacob:
You might want to put it off a couple of weeks. Alternately, you could ask your dentist to drill for 15 seconds, then 30 seconds off, then drill another 15 seconds, 30 seconds off, etc. This seems to work for some people–rather than having continuous drilling.
Cordially,
Neil
I regret not stopping the dentist even though it was hurting my ears when he used the device. I never knew about this ultrasonic device for cleaning teeth. Afterwards I didn’t notice any hearing loss but I did get a louder ringing in my ears. It’s the next days and my ears are still ringing louder than normal. Hopefully no permanent damage, and I know now to ask dentists whether they use this device.
I’ve heeded the warnings over ultrasonic cleaning and have had manual cleaning ever since a got tinnitus several years ago.
Unfortunately I now need a root canal on an upper molar. I going to an endodonist due to higher success rates, but I’m concerned that ultrasonic tips/tools are used to clear away the dentin and also to irrigate/clean out the infection in the tooth roots!
Will this likely had the same detrimental effect on Tinnitus as the ultrasonic scaling/cleaning of teeth enamel?
Hi Michael:
I’ve never had a dentist use ultrasonic instruments on me for crowns, root canals, fillings, etc. All you have to say is that you don’t want him to use any ultrasonics on you. Any thing they can do ultrasonically, they can do manually. What do you think they did before ultrasonics came along?
So you shouldn’t have any problems.
Cordially,
Neil
So I’m a complete idiot! I went ahead with the root canal, while in the dentist chair I asked the endodontist if he used an ultrasonic tools and he said he did and due to my tinnitus concerns would limit the use of it as much as possible, but according to him it was much needed part of the procedure so I agreed and went through with the root canal.
The drilling was fine, the ultrasonic tools were used sporadically throughout the procedure, for 5 seconds at a time, a handful of times, but the noise wasn’t loud at all. The most uncomfortable part of it all was keeping my mouth open for over 2 hours! I ultimately thought the ultrasonic tips used on the dentin and roots wouldn’t have the same effect as when used on hard enamel.
Unfortunately, despite my Tinnitus being unchanged the first few days, it was a whole 4 days after the root canal for my tinnitus to worsen and it’s been spiking for over 10 days now! It’s fluctuating with various new tones and volumes, this is after 6 years of relatively stable manageable tinnitus.
Pretty much resigned myself to this being permanent with everything I read from other people’s experiences with ultrasonic.
Is it possible for the ultrasonic tools to become damaging to the hearing/tinnitus despite there being no perception of loud noise? I always thought I would know if it was causing damage through discomfort of volume or pain etc…
I’m really kicking myself for being so careless despite being fully aware of the risks! 🙁
Hi Michael:
Sometimes you are not aware you are hurting your ears until later. I don’t know whether this also applies to ultrasonics, so you have to take all prudent precautions.
Are you sure the ultrasonics caused your tinnitus to get louder, and not, say, having your mouth open for all that time which could have caused your jaw and or neck problems that caused your tinnitus to spike. You don’t want to blame the ultrasonics if there is another plausible explanation that you haven’t yet considered. Or it could be a combination of both.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your input Neil.
You are absolutely right, I can’t say for sure it was the ultrasonic tools. My jaw was open for a long time and neck was in an awkward position for extended periods. The day after the appointment I had neck ache, so there are many possibilities to why my tinnitus started playing up.
I think it was for the fact I’d read horror stories of ultrasonics significantly worsening people’s tinnitus, it was that I automatically but the blame on.
However, the 4 day delay in the spike is making me have my doubts….I think to myself surely if the ultrasonic tools were to blame I would of felt the physical discomfort of noise and pain, and why would it take 4 whole days for my T to change?
I’m a little worried as I’m due to go back to the dentist for a crown to be fitted to the root canalled tooth, this requires 10-15 minutes of drilling, but I think I’m going to delay it for now see what happens to the tinnitus.
Thanks again.
Hi Michael:
Drilling shouldn’t spike your tinnitus. It never has mine. And they don’t have to use any ultrasonic tools to put a crown on. Just tell the dentist NOT to use any ultrasonic tools on you–then you’ll know any tinnitus is not because of ultrasound. You should be ok.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there, my name is David. About 2 weeks ago, I had a ultrasonic scaling, first time in 30 years, I’m in my 50s btw. The noise wasn’t so bad for the most part but when the hygienist got to the upper right molars, the noise went from normal to extremely high – pitched, almost unbearably, for about a couple of minutes. At the time, I didn’t think about the possible adverse effect from it. Anyways, about 2 hours after it was done, I started to feel dizzy . This dizziness went away in a few days, about 90% gone. At this point I’m thinking, ok I guess I’m fine. After another few days I started to hear hissing noise from both of my ears. It’s been about a week with this same noise. I’m beginning to think that the high pitched noise has caused tinnitus? I’ve never had this problem in my entire 57 years. I am very regretful for not stopping the hygienist when I felt the extra high pitched sound. Has anyone experienced symptoms similar to mine, dizziness to hissing noise?
Thank you.
Hi David:
You are not alone as you can see by all the comments on this issue. Your post serves as a warning that whenever the sound becomes bothersome, you need to tell the hygienist to stop immediately.
I prefer not to take that risk and have a permanent notation on my records that they are never to use any ultrasonic equipment on me. And every time I go to get my teeth cleaned, I remind the hygienist.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, thank you for responding to my story. The hissing noise is not very loud but during the night, when there’s silence, it’s more pronounced. Should I expect this to subside over time? I know that it varies case by case, but since the level of hissing is supposedly not very extreme. I’m trying to remain hopeful for a go-back to what it was before.
Thanks again.
Hi David:
If your tinnitus is bothering you at night since it is more pronounced in the silence, break the silence. Many people find running a fan in the bedroom is enough to do this and thus they are much better able to ignore their tinnitus.
It’s not the volume of the tinnitus that determines whether it will be temporary or permanent, nor is time alone a factor. It is what you do with the time that really matters. For example, I know people with very faint tinnitus that are all bent out of shape over it. Since they are anxious about this faint tinnitus and worry about it continuously, they will still have it in the future. On the other hand, I know people who have very loud tinnitus that say its no big deal. Since these people don’t care about their tinnitus (don’t worry about it) in time you can expect the volume to reduce in the future as their brains rewire.
So the key is to not think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being (then you won’t worry about it), but to think of it as a totally unimportant background sound you can safely ignore, then your will habituate to your tinnitus and it can fade away (or not), but it won’t bother you so whether you hear it or not doesn’t really matter.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, you’re right. Since I can’t undo what had happened, I need to somehow get over it by compensating the sound. I trying to hold on to any possibility of getting rid of the noise over time by maybe healing itself perhaps that’s a wishful thinking because I take it that it’s irreversible? Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
Regards,
David
Dr Bauman – on May 9, 2023, I had ultrasonic scaling done for the first time. I was never asked if I wanted it, I’ve always had mechanical descaling done. I’m a 67 yo male in good health, workout enthusiast with 35 years experience in biotech and oncology. In sales and clinical trial work. The next day I developed very noticeable left ear tinnitus. Next AM I messaged my FP and he sent me to an ENT. FP said sudden onset tinnitus and hearing loss is a medical emergency. Had auditory testing completed and my left ear hearing was diminished. ENT put me on 60mg prednisone x 5 days followed by 9 day taper. I won’t know for another 10 days if my left ear hearing fully returns. The dentists should warn patients about these potential adverse events prior to utilizing ultrasonic descaling. There needs to be larger and wider ranging clinical trials
on this issue.
Hi Tom:
I’m with you. There is a lot of ignorance in the dentistry community regarding the ototoxic side effects of ultrasonic scaling. When I talk to dental hygienists, they don’t seem to know much/anything about it, or that it even happens.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the reply Dr. Bauman. I plan to file an adverse event report with the FDA in the medical device division. The only way the FDA can monitor this data is via phase 4 field reports
Don’t get your upper molars cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler.
I regret having my teeth cleaned with it If I knew that it could lead to tinnitus and hearing loss.
When the dentist was cleaning my uppers molars the vibrations of the ultrasonic scaler were conducted through the bone and were extremely loud that I wanted to stop the dentist but I believed that any tool a dentist would use on a patient should be safe or it wouldn’t be approved… WRONG. Now the hearing in my left ear has reduced and the ringing is driving me crazy I can’t sleep and I’m always angry.
Like me, you probably won’t read this post until damage has been done and look up on google “ringing in my ear after dental cleaning” unfortunately.
You’re precisely right. You wouldn’t have searched up this topic until it was too late. All the warnings from this site is useless unless you discovered it by miraculous chance before getting your teeth cleaned. I truly wish I was the lucky one to have discovered it.
Good luck to you and me as well.
Same story here, 2yrs after treatment still ringing. So sad no official connection is made in order to help others and demand some kind of fine, or money from insurance..
I don’t know whether it’d be confirmation bias or what, but I’ve had near-perfect hearing all my life until I started using a sonic toothbrush. Two days in I developed right ear tinnitus. Sure it might’ve been some unnoticed infection, but the timing is insane. Is the vibration caused by 40k rpm/min enough to do any damage through bone conduction?
I have tinnitus since 02/02/2020. I had ultrasonic teeth cleaning before this date (29/01/2020). I didnt feel it was way too loud nor painful during the cleaning. However the dates are way too close to not think about a direct correlation. Could the ultrasonic teeth scaler damage some inner ear/ face nerves so that it results in permanant tinnitus?
Hi Alex:
Tinnitus doesn’t always develop immediately after a triggering event. It can be delayed a few hours, days or even weeks after the event. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ultrasonic cleaning is related to your tinnitus.
There doesn’t have to be physical damage to develop tinnitus. It is more like things in your brain getting out of proper balance that results in tinnitus in many cases.
Cordially,
Neil
Well I’m one of the few fortunate ones who read this BEFORE agreeing to an ultrasonic cleaning. That’s only because I have tinnitus and mild hyperacusis and my hygenist mentioned that the noise could bother my ears. My t and h are only in one ear (courtesy of Levaquin) so its manageable as the other ear is fine. I go to a periodonist because I have one tooth that has an 11 pocket on the inside and 8 on the outside . The ultrasonic was suggested to help (I can’t tolerate arrestin) but if it damages my good ear in the process I guess its not worth it. Would really like your input.
Hi Susie:
Obviously, ultrasonic tooth cleaning doesn’t cause tinnitus problems with everyone, but it sure does with some people. There are a number of factors involved including the skill of the dental hygienist and your sensitivity to ultrasonic sounds for two.
Since you don’t know ahead of time whether you will have problems, I think the better part of valor is to be safe and refuse ultrasonics. That is what I do so don’t have to worry whether it will cause problems or not. Ultimately, you have to make up your own mind.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a dental hygienists and just found out today I have moderate hearing loss from occupational exposure to the ultrasonic scaler and suction noise.
I had high-pitched tinnitus for many years but in recent years it had largely subsided and I hardly noticed it anymore. Today I had a dental cleaning where ultrasonic scaling was done and now my tinnitus is much louder again in both ears. Also right after the appointment I was having difficulty hearing people speaking, where normally I would have no difficulty hearing this. I’m hoping this is just temporary but after reading some of the comments here I’m scared that I might have more permanent damage. I should never have allowed the hygienist to use the ultrasonic scaler.
I’ve also been reading that the ultrasonic scaler produces a lot of aerosols from each patient which can contain COVID-19 in addition to bacteria which can cause harm when inhaled. You should never allow your dentist’s office to use ultrasonic scaling on you.
I have started using a Philips Soniccare 3 times! before waking up in the middle of the night with quite a loud ‘ringin’ in my left year.
I am 42 and have not noticed any hearing problems before.
And I have never, in my life heard or was warned that ultrasound could cause this kind of things. Millions of people must use it daily.
Hi Cristian:
First off, the Philips Sonicare 3 is NOT an ultrasonic toothbrush–so you can’t blame your tinnitus on ultrasonics. The ultrasonic instruments I have been talking about are used by dentists–not by individual people.
Cordially,
Neil
I used an ultrasonic pest repellent device 2 weeks ago for about an hour. Shortly after plugging in the device, I started experiencing fullness in both ears and pain in my right ear. Both have persisted. Has anyone else had these symptoms from ultrasound exposure? Does it go away?
Thanks!
Hi Brett:
How close were you to the ultrasonic device? Was it ever aimed towards your head? Could you hear anything from it, or was it silent as far as your ears were concerned?
Since this occurred about 3 weeks ago now have you noticed your symptoms getting better, staying the same or getting worse?
You’re the first I’ve heard of anyone being disturbed by using such devices.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
The device was small and was plugged into an outlet about 4 feet away. It wasn’t aimed at my head. It was silent.
My symptoms are the same now as when it first started 3 weeks ago. I haven’t heard of any other cases like this occurring from ultrasonic pest repellent devices.
Hi Brett:
I’ve never encountered a case like yours either. I don’t really know what you can do. But thinking about it, you have two symptoms–a feeling of fullness in your ear indicating your Eustachian tube is probably not working right at this time, and pain in your ear. Both of these symptoms can be caused by a hyperactive trigeminal nerve.
The trick is to calm down this nerve. I’m wondering if taking the calming neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) would help. It might be worth trying. You might want to run this bay a neurologist and see what he thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil for your advice! I’ll look into this.
I have suffered from tinnitus for many years which then developed into pulsatile tinnitus which I realise now the direct link was following dental ultrasonic cleaning. I have warned my dentist on last visit a few days back that I have tinnitus and can’t stand the pitch when cleaning. So he tried to lower it but it was not tolerable on the back upper molar left side. So he had to stop and use manual means. My tinnitus at present is through the roof !! I will have to insist to stop the use of ultra sonic devices because this is a serious problem and should be made aware of in the public domain. Thanks to all who have related their experiences on this forum – hugely helpful to me.
HELLO within minutes of ultrasonic cleaning. the tinnitus was chronic. asked to see an ENT doctor, audiologist said no. they cant help me. 2 1/2 years later, tinnitus is so severe dident sleep for 48 hours at the weekend. with the severity of tinnitus. i am sad beyond belief. my dentist refuses to believe it was the ultrasonic cleaning.
Hi Josephine:
Most dentists and dental hygienists don’t think ultrasonics can cause ear problems. You just have to insist that they do not use any ultrasonics on you. That is what I do.
If your tinnitus is still bothering you, you should get help from a tinnitus clinic–typically run by audiologists–and learn to habituate to your tinnitus. Then it will no longer bother you even if you can still hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
So pleased I found this information. I’m due at the hygienist this week so will make sure ultrasonics are not used.
Thank you
If this post appears twice, my apologies, tech issue. I also edited my initial post.
67 year old male, good health, exercise enthusiast. 35 years of experience in biotech, oncology and clinical trials.
On May 9, 2023, I had ultrasonic dental descaling done for the first time. I was not asked permission prior to the procedure or given any data on potential adverse events. The procedure took about 25 minutes.
A few hours later on the same day, I developed a migraine-like headache and fatigue that lasted about 3 hours. I had photophobia as well.
The following day, about 3pm, I developed sudden onset tinnitus and hearing loss in my left ear. It was late in the day, so I waited until the following morning to contact my FP.
My FP hustled me in an ENT office where I had auditory testing done that confirmed hearing loss in my left ear.
I thanked the ENT for taking me on such short notice and she said, “this is considered a medical emergency”. I was not aware of that designation.
I was put on 60mg. prednisone QD x 5days with a 9 day taper after the initial loading dose. I won’t know for a while if the prednisone works.
I plan to contact the dental office and get the name of the manufacturer of the descaling equipment. If possible, I plan to file an adverse event report with the FDA in the medical equipment section of their website.
There needs to be a meta-analysis of all the case reports for this phenomena, clinical trials initiated and prior use explanations by dental staff for potential adverse events.
PS – The high dose prednisone worked perfectly. Tinnitus is gone and my ear is clear! Awaiting confirmation via audio testing in 1 week.
Hi Tommy:
That’s great–your tinnitus going.
Cordially,
Neil
Just found the connection between my teeth cleaning and tinnitus today and did some search on Google.
I had ultrasonic teeth cleaning about three weeks ago. If I calculate right back, it was the same evening, when the ringing in my ears started.
I had several cleanings with this device, but each time when the dentist hit the wisdom teeth, I was nearly deaf and had a short ringing in my ears. First time I asked if this is okay and I was told, this is normal. So each time I had this cleaning, I knew what would happen when the molars were hit.
But this time, as mentioned, the ringing started at night. I walked through my flat and searched for the sound source until I realized, it came from my ears.
One week later, I went to the ENT doctor. Did a hearing test. Some minor damage at about 8.000Hz. I got some Metypred (Methylprednisolon) 16 mg (10 pills) but didn’t work for me.
Today I had this idea about the teeth cleaning and googled a bit and found this abstract, which is 50 years old. Fun fact: They mention hearing loss at about 7.000- 8.000 Hz. Like I have…. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/777050/
Hi Arno:
Thanks for sending that link. It’s hard to believe that they knew that ultrasonic scaling caused hearing loss and tinnitus 47 years ago and have seemed to keep this fact quiet all this time so that few people are aware of the risk of ultrasonic scaling on their ears.
Since hearing is typically only tested to 8,000 Hz, and this ultrasonic scaling causes hearing loss from 7,000 to 8,000 Hz, I suspect that it also causes even more pronounced hearing loss in the frequencies above 8,000 Hz.
Back then, they thought the hearing loss and tinnitus was only very temporary, but now we know that this is not necessarily true as so many people have testified under this blog article.
Cordially,
Neil
Has tinnitus been reported with the surge in usage of personal electric teeth scalers?
Hi Woh:
I haven’t heard of any reports–but I’ve not gone looking for them either. However, I still believe they are not safe for all people.
Here is one report I saw. Notice the doublespeak right at the beginning.
“Disadvantages of Ultrasonic Scaling
While the technology is safe, it is not without risks.”
If something is “safe” it DOESN’T have “risk” in my opinion. So they are NOT safe in the true sense of the word.
The article continues, “some of the reported health risks include platelet damage, cell disruption, interruption to pacemakers, auditory damage, temporary tinnitus, and creating aerosols during the procedure that might contain high numbers of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species that dentists could inhale.”
Notice that two of these risks are “auditory damage” and “tinnitus”. So if you value your ears, you want to be careful with these devices.
Personally, I opt not to use any ultrasonic devices nor let any dental professional use them on me. That way I avoid all the risks.
Cordially,
Neil