Dental Instrument Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic tray setups, hygiene, restorative operative dentistry, surgical instruments, and dental burs based on the UCSF Pre-Dental Society packet.

Dental Tray

Provides an area specific for instruments with different designs for procedures like hygiene, operative, or surgical sets.

Mouth Mirror

Used to provide indirect vision, retract lips, cheeks, and tongue, and reflect light into the oral cavity; can provide accurate images from flat surfaces or magnification with concave surfaces.

Cotton Forceps

Used to grasp and/or transfer material in and out of the oral cavity; available with plain or serrated angled tips.

Explorers

Used to examine teeth for decay (caries), calculus, furcation, canals, or other anomalies; variants include Orbin, Shepherds, and Pigtail.

Perioprobe

An instrument with incremental marks (e.g., $1\,mm$, $3\,mm$, PSR) on the tip to measure periodontal pockets.

Bib holder

Attaches the patient bib around the neck using disposable snap/adhesive clips or non-disposable alligator clips.

Patient Bib

Prevents materials, debris, and fluids from contacting the patient; features a protective liquid barrier side and an absorbent side.

Cotton Rolls

Fluid absorbent rolls approximately $1\,in$ long used to isolate teeth, absorb saliva, act as a tissue barrier, and aid in endodontic diagnostics.

2x2 gauze

An absorbent fiber cloth used in all aspects of dentistry to aid in homeostasis, clean instruments, and manage fluids.

High Velocity Saliva Evacuation (HVE)

Used to evacuate large volumes of fluid and debris from the oral cavity; attaches to the tubing on the dental unit.

Low Velocity Saliva Evacuation (LVE)

A disposable plastic device used to evacuate reduced volumes of fluid from the oral cavity.

Air/Water Syringe Tip

A three-way syringe tip (disposable plastic or autoclavable metal) used to rinse and dry specific teeth or the entire oral cavity using air, water, or spray.

Ultrasonic Scaler Unit

A device with water-cooled, ultra-high frequency tip movement used to remove calculus; attaches to the dental chair.

Ultrasonic Scaler Tips

Used with the scaler unit to remove supra/subgingival calculus, bacteria from periodontal pockets, and stains; available in $25\,k$ and $30\,k$ sizes.

Universal Curette

Designed with a blade having two cutting edges and a rounded toe for scaling and removing deposits, stains, and calculus.

Area-Specific Curette

An instrument used to scale and remove deposits from specific subgingival surfaces (Anterior or Posterior).

Sickle Scaler

An instrument with sharp edges and a sharp point used to remove large amounts of supragingival deposits, ideal for anterior interproximal areas.

0.12 % Chlorhexidine

A blue or pink liquid ($15\,ml$ rinse) used before and after treatment to lower a patient's oral bioburden.

Prophy Cup & Paste

Used to polish the coronal surface of teeth; pastes differ in grit and may be fluoridated or non-fluoridated.

Fluoride Varnish

A sticky, resin-based material used to decrease post-cleaning sensitivity, remineralize incipient carious lesions, and prevent caries.

Prophy Angle

An attachment for handpieces using a prophy cup for all tooth surfaces or a prophy brush for occlusal and lingual surfaces of anterior teeth.

Topical Anesthetic

A gel applied via Q-tip to the injection site to aid in painless anesthesia; available in various colors and tastes.

Lidocaine - Red

The most used anesthetic containing $2\,\%$ Lidocaine and $1:100,000$ epinephrine; identified by a red band on the carpule.

Polocaine - Tan

A non-epinephrine anesthetic ($3\,\%$ Polocaine Plain) used for patients who cannot have epinephrine, such as HTN patients; has a tan band on the carpule.

Anesthetic Syringe

Used to administer local anesthetic; available as aspirating (with a barb for the carpule) or self-aspirating.

Amalgam Capsule

Contains amalgam material that must be triturated; used to restore cavities or perform crown build-ups.

Amalgam Carrier

Single or double-sided instrument used to carry and dispense amalgam into a cavity preparation via hollow tubes.

Hatchet

An instrument used to accentuate line and point angles of internal/external outlines and remove unsupported enamel.

Smooth Condenser

A flat-ended, smooth metal instrument used to pack and condense amalgam into a cavity preparation.

Serrated Condenser

An instrument with serrated ends used to pack and condense amalgam into a cavity preparation.

Football Burnisher

A smooth, football-shaped metal instrument used to smooth amalgam after condensing, contour matrix bands, and burnish amalgam.

Acorn Burnisher

An acorn-shaped tip used to smooth amalgam after condensing and create occlusal anatomy.

T-Ball Burnisher

A smooth metal instrument with a ball and paddle used to smooth amalgam, contour matrix bands, and initiate carving.

Beavertail Burnisher

A smooth metal instrument used to burnish the lingual and facial amalgam walls of a restoration.

Tanner Carver

A sharp, double-ended instrument specifically shaped to carve occlusal anatomy into amalgam restorations.

Discoid-Cleoid Carver

A double-ended restorative instrument; the Discoid end is disk-shaped and the Cleoid end is pointed and sharp.

Woodson

A double-ended instrument with a condenser on one end and a paddle-shaped burnisher on the other.

Hollenback Carver

A sharp, double-ended instrument with stiff metal blades used to contour and carve occlusal and interproximal anatomy in restorations.

Dycal/Liner Applicator

A tool with a tiny ball burnisher tip used to place Calcium Hydroxide or Glass Ionomer.

Tofflemire/Matrix Band Retainer

A device with a guide slot, spindle, and knobs used to maintain the stability of a matrix band during restoration condensation.

Matrix Band

Used to replace missing proximal walls of a cavity preparation; available in universal, premolar, molar, and pediatric sizes.

Interproximal Knife

A double-ended instrument with a sharp carving blade used to restore proximal wall contours and carve interproximal walls of amalgams.

Spoon Excavator

A spoon-shaped instrument with a cutting edge used to remove carious dentin, temporary cement, or provisional crowns.

Wood Wedges

Triangular or rounded plastic/wooden tools used to hold a matrix band against the gingival margin of a Class II preparation.

Plastic Instrument

A specially coated instrument used exclusively to carry and shape composite material during cavity preparation.

Micro Brush

A small plastic instrument with a fiber-bristled head used to apply primer, bond, or sealants.

Mylar Strip

A thin clear strip used to isolate cavity preparations while allowing the use of a curing light.

Curing Light

Used to harden light-cure materials (bonding, composites, sealants) in increments of $2\,mm$ or less; must be above $300$ wavelength.

Bonding Agents

Acts as an adhesive between the tooth and composite material; techniques vary by generation and brand (all-in-one, 2-step, or 3-step).

Etch

Typically $37\,\%$ Phosphoric Acid (blue color) used to remove the smear layer and prepare the tooth for bonding.

Cavity Conditioner

A $20\,\%$ Polyacrylic Acid solution with a deep blue tint used to prepare a tooth for Glass Ionomer restorations.

Dycal (Calcium Hydroxide Composition)

A self-setting pulp capping material mixed in a $1:1$ ratio of base and catalyst to form a tan paste.

IRM (ZOE)

A temporary or sedative filling material created from a $1:1$ mixture of white powder and eugenol.

Flowable Composite

A high-viscosity, low-filler fluid-like composite delivered via syringe for small areas or as a base layer.

Packable Composite

A low-viscosity, high-filler permanent restorative material delivered via syringe or composite gun.

High Speed Handpiece

An air-pressured tool running up to $400,000\,rpm$ with water spray and friction grip used to cut cavity or crown preparations.

Low Speed Handpiece

An air-driven tool running up to $30,000\,rpm$ used for removing decay, polishing, and refining preparations.

Straight Nose Cone

An attachment for long-shank straight burs, primarily used outside the oral cavity unless used with other attachments like a contra angle; max $30,000\,rpm$.

Hemostat

A locking surgical instrument with a serrated, straight, or curved working end used to grasp tissue or bone fragments.

Tongue and Cheek Retractor

Also called a Minnesota; used to hold and retract the tongue or cheek during procedures.

Suture Needles and Sutures

Used to suture surgical sites; materials can be reabsorbable (gut, chromic gut) or non-reabsorbable (silk, nylon, polypropylene).

Straight Elevators

Single-ended instruments used to separate and lift a tooth from its socket or loosen it from periodontal ligaments before extraction.

Bone File

A tool used in a push-pull motion to remove or smooth edges of alveolar bone.

Maxillary Universal Forceps/ Cryer 150

Used to extract maxillary central, lateral, cuspid, and premolar teeth and roots.

Universal Mandibular Forceps No. 23

Referred to as 'Cowhorn' forceps, used specifically for extracting mandibular first and second molars.

Rongeur

A surgical instrument used to trim and remove excess alveolar bone after an extraction.

Bone Chisel

A single-level or bilevel instrument used to section teeth (with a mallet) or contour alveolar bone.

Surgical Evacuation Tip

A narrow stainless steel or plastic tip used to evacuate fluid specifically from surgical sites.

Magnetic Bur Block

Used to hold burs; accommodates long shanks for straight handpieces, short latch-type shanks for contra-angles, and friction grips for high-speed handpieces.

Round Bur

A bur used to remove caries and open the tooth for endodontic treatment.

Rubber Points

Polishing instruments; 'Brownies' (brown points) are abrasive for polishing, and 'Greenies' (green points) are less abrasive.

Straight Fissure - Crosscut

A bur with parallel sides and horizontal cutting edges used to form cavity walls and retention grooves.

Mandrel

A device inserted into a handpiece used to attach polishing or finishing discs.

Viscostat

A material used during crown preparation procedures, typically included in the tray setup for hemodynamics and cord packing.