Dental Instruments and Radiography Techniques

Bird Peak

Bend and shape appliance wires.

Band removal plier

Self explanatory.

Distal end cutter

Cut held arch wire that was inserted in buccal (cheek) tube.

Hemostat

Scissor-like clamps (straight and curved) used to carry or hold small objects. Also used to control bleeding during surgery.

Weingart pliers

Used to place arch wires.

Ligature tucker

Claw-like ended instrument used to guide ligatures and help bend cut wire edges.

Ligature tying pliers

Used to tie or bind off ligature wires and PLACE elastics.

Buccal tubes

Devices welded onto bands where headgear and archwires are inserted.

Ligature cutter

Used to cut ligature wire.

Hawley appliance

Removable, customized, acrylic wire designed to maintain newly acquired tooth position; worn at night and day.

Arch forming pliers

Used to bend or hold dimensional wires.

Retention form

Undercut of walls to give mechanical hold of restorative material.

Outline form

Tooth cuts used to prepare size, shape and placement of restoration.

Resistance form

Preparation cuts to ensure RESTORED tooth can withstand trauma.

Negative angulation

Angulation by positioning the PID upward. Mandibular exposures are made with this; also called MINUS angulation.

Horizontal angulation

Central x-ray beam in horizontal plane; it is placed perpendicular to the film front and text alignment. Error is overlapping and/or cone cutting.

Vertical angulation

Central x-ray beam in up and down position; improper results result in elongation or foreshortening.

Bitewing window

Used to place bitewing exposures.

Vertical window

Window in mount used to place anterior film.

Stray radiation

LEAKAGE; any radiation other than useful beam produced from tube head.

Primary Radiation

Central ray of radiation emitting from the tube head and PID. Desired radiation used to expose radiographic film.

Secondary Radiation

Radiation given off from other matter that is exposed to primary beam.

Full mouth survey

Multiple exposures of oral cavity. Shows down and tooth area; gives view of entire mouth when mounted.