VOCAB Lesson 6: Dental Instruments (DA Online - USCI)

Hand instruments

Devices requiring no electrical power used to perform manual restorative procedures.

Instrument number

A unique stamped identifier from the manufacturer used to catalog hand tools.

Handle

The specific portion of a hand instrument that the operator holds or grasps.

Shank

The portion connecting the handle to the working end, determining permissible pressure.

Working end

The functional portion of a hand instrument featuring a point, blade, or nib.

Black's instrument formula

A three-number standardization identifying a cutting/scaling blade's width, length, and angle.

Blade width

The first number in Black's formula, measured in tenths of millimeters.

Blade length

The second number in Black's formula, measured in millimeters.

Blade angle

The third number in Black's formula, measured in degrees relative to the handle.

Cutting instruments

A functional classification for tools like angle formers, margin trimmers, chisels, hatchets, excavators, and hoes.

Non-cutting instruments

A functional classification for tools like mirrors, explorers, probes, condensers, burnishers, and carvers.

Mouth mirrors

Examination instruments providing indirect vision, tissue retraction, and light reflection.

Mouth explorer

An examination instrument with a thin, flexible pointed tip to detect caries and fractures.

Periodontal probe

A diagnostic tool with calibrated markings used to measure pocket depths.

Excavator

A versatile preparation instrument used to manually scrape soft dentin and debris.

Hatchet

A hand tool used to clean and smooth cavity preparation walls using a pushing motion.

Hoe

A preparation tool used to pull calculus and deposits off the tooth surface.

Chisel

An instrument angled at a specific bevel used to flatten or split enamel.

Straight chisel

A single or double-ended chisel featuring a single-bevel straight cutting edge.

Wedelstaedt chisel

A chisel featuring a curved blade with a single-bevel cutting edge.

Binangle chisel

A chisel featuring two specific angles for its cutting edges.

Gingival margin trimmer

A modified chisel with a curved blade for trimming gingival enamel margins.

Angle former

A tool similar to a hoe with a cutting edge angled to define point angles.

Restorative instruments

Instruments used to place, condense, and contour materials without altering the tooth itself.

Amalgam carrier

A syringe-like instrument used to transport and release amalgam into dental cavities.

Condenser

A flat or serrated plugger used to pack freshly placed restorative materials.

Carver

A sharp restorative tool used to contour and carve anatomy into unhardened materials.

Tanner carver

A double-ended carver where each end features a completely different shape.

Discoid/cleoid carver

A double-ended carver featuring one disc-shaped end and one pointed end.

Hollenback carver

A double-ended carving tool with ends protruding at distinct angles.

Burnisher

A rounded restorative tool used to smooth freshly placed silver amalgam.

Composite instruments

Restorative tools made of Teflon or aluminum that will not stick to or discolor resin.

Composite placement instrument

An anodized aluminum or Teflon instrument used to carry resin materials.

Composite burnisher

A titanium nitride-coated tool used for final contouring of resin anatomy.

Files

Serrated instruments used to trim excess material and smooth interproximal restoration margins.

Finishing knives

Sharp knives designed to trim interproximal materials and recreate proximal walls.

Accessory instruments

Miscellaneous clinic tools including spatulas, scissors, pliers, and retainers.

Cement spatula

A single-ended stainless steel tool used to mix liners, bases, and cements.

Impression spatula

A large spatula with a wide blade and thick handle used for impression materials.

Articulating forceps

Multi-use forceps utilized to carry, place, or extract objects intraorally.

Crown and bridge scissors

Scissors with straight or curved blades used to trim custom crowns and matrix bands.

Tissue scissors

Surgical scissors available in varied shapes to cut soft oral tissues.

Suture scissors

Scissors featuring an end-notch on the cutting edge to split suture threads.

Bird beak pliers

Orthodontic pliers used specifically to bend, form, and shape arch wires.

Cotton pliers

Slim-tipped tweezers used to carry or extract cotton products, wedges, and cords.

Matrix retainers

Mechanical holders used to secure a stabilizing matrix band during a restoration.

Articulating paper holder

A specialized metal device that grips carbon paper to map a patient's bite.

Articulating paper

Carbon paper bitten by a patient to check and adjust restoration contact points.

Articulator

A mechanical tracking device that replicates mouth and jaw movements using diagnostic models.

Temporomandibular joint

The specific hinge joint located directly between the ear and the jaw.

Rotary instrument

Any dental tool that rotates around a center point to shape teeth or materials.

Bur

A rotary cutting tool featuring a sharp head constructed of tiny cutting blades.

Straight shank

A long, straight bur shaft used with straight-line attachments on low-speed handpieces.

Latch-type shank

A bur shaft with a small terminal groove that locks into a contra-angle attachment.

Friction-grip shank

A short, completely smooth bur shaft held inside high-speed handpieces by friction.

Neck

The narrow transitional portion connecting a bur's shank to its working head.

Head

The cutting, polishing, or finishing terminal portion of a rotary bur.

Bur block

A propylene plastic or magnetized block with holes used to organize and autoclave burs.

557 bur

A flat-ended cross-cut surgical bur with 6 blades optimized for aggressive cutting.

Diamond bur

A metal-based bur bonded with diamond flakes, used for rapid crown preparation cuts.

Finishing bur

A final-stage polishing bur characterized by a high number of blades or flutes.

Fissurotomy bur

A small, fast-cutting bur limited to recontouring pits, fissures, and grooves.

Laboratory bur

A low-speed rotary bur utilized to cut models and trim acrylic appliances.

Surgical burs

A critical classification of burs used during endodontic root canal procedures.

Gates-Glidden bur

A football-shaped endodontic bur used to enlarge pulp chambers and canal orifices.

Pesso reamer bur

An endodontic bur with long parallel cutting edges used to prepare post space.

K-type file

An endodontic hand instrument used to clean and contour inner root canal walls.

Hedstrom file

An endodontic instrument that cleans, enlarges, and smooths inner canal walls.

Abrasive rotary instrument

A metal mandrel paired with an abrasive disc, point, stone, or wheel.

Silicon carbide

A moderately rough abrasive available in wheels or points used to polish metal.

Garnet

A reddish abrasive material adhered to discs used for early finishing stages.

Cuttlebone

An abrasive material adhered to discs used for final finishing and polishing.

Sandpaper

Sand particles fixed to flexible paper discs used to polish restorations.

Carborundum

An abrasive particle fixed to a disc used to slice or separate structures.

Rubber points

Abrasive rubber tools utilized to polish amalgam, composite resin, and gold.

Air abrasive instruments

Semi-critical handpieces deploying pressurized alpha-alumina streams to abrade decay.

Tray systems

An organization setup where tools are placed in order of use from left to right.

Cassette system

An enclosed instrument carrier used to transport, clean, wash, and sterilize setups.