Laurence is a copywriter and trained journalist. His passion is creating insightful and educational content for dental professionals of every level. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sport, quizzing and spending time with his family.
Shopping for dental instruments requires knowing exactly what each instrument does and what qualities to look out for. Our guide aims to help you understand the most common types of dental hand instruments and their functions, so that you can make an informed decision when it comes to buying.
Dental instruments are small pieces of hand-held equipment used to examine, treat, restore and remove teeth. They are typically made of either stainless steel or disposable plastic, and will often fall under one of two categories: non-cutting and cutting. Though many of these instruments look similar, most are designed for a specific area of dentistry, such as examinations, restorations or periodontics. Instruments can be purchased individually or in kits made up of an assortment of instruments. Here is our guide to the most frequently used dental instruments.
Cutting Instruments
Dental Scalers
Scalers are used to remove calculus from the tooth, including in the tiny pockets. They are usually two-sided with two working ends. Dental scalers can be either universal and designed for use anywhere in the mouth, or they can be designed specifically for certain teeth and areas.
Sickle scalers have a sharp point and are recommended for removing calculus above the gum line. Curettes are recommended for removing calculus below the gum line (subgingival calculus) and have rounded ends to ensure less damage to the gingiva.
The best dental scalers will be ergonomic and lightweight. Cybertech scalers and most other dental instruments from Cybertech come with hollow handles for improved handling.
Dental Burs
Dental burs attach to a handpiece and are used for cutting and polishing hard tissues of the mouth. There are several types of dental burs used for different types of procedures. The three most common type of dental bur are
- Diamond burs.
- Tungsten carbide burs.
- Steel burs.
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