DAE 162 Dental Assisting I Week 7

Week 7 Overview

  • Focus on dental assisting tools and their specifications.

Key Terms

  • Beveled: A surface or edge cut at an angle.

  • Blade: The flat cutting edge of an instrument, sharp enough to cut.

  • Handle: The part the operator grasps.

  • Nib: Blunt point or tip of an instrument.

  • Plane: Flat or level surface of the working instrument.

  • Point: Sharp or tapered end.

  • Serrated: Notchlike projections extending from a flat surface.

  • Shank: Segment connecting the handle to the working end.

  • Working End: The functional part of the dental instrument.

Instrument Design

  • Parts of Hand Instruments:

    • Handle: Section grasped by the operator.

    • Shank: Connects the handle to the working end.

    • Working End: Contains the instrument's specific function.

  • Instruments may be single or double-ended.

  • Manufacturers assign numbers that universally represent the instruments.

Black’s Instrument Formula

  • Three Sets of Numbers:

    • First Number: Width of the working end.

    • Second Number: Length of the working end.

    • Third Number: Angle of the working end.

Dental Instruments Responsibilities

  • Dental assistants must understand instruments' uses for various procedures, including the sequence of use.

Hand Cutting Instruments

  • Purpose: To remove decay and prepare tooth structure for restoration.

  • Key Instruments:

    • Excavator: Manually removes decay and excess cement.

    • Hoe: Smooths cavity preparations.

    • Chisel: Smooths and planes enamel in cavities.

    • Hatchets: Removes unsupported enamel rods.

    • Gingival Margin Trimmer: Creates bevels in the gingival margins of preparations.

Instrument Functions

  • Excavator:

    • Used for decay removal.

    • Available in various sizes and shapes; can be single or double-ended.

  • Hoe:

    • Primarily used for smoothing cavity preparations.

  • Chisel:

    • Smooths and planes the enamel surface within cavities.

  • Hatchets:

    • Removes unsupported enamel rods effectively.

  • Gingival Margin Trimmer:

    • Specifically designed to create bevels in the preparation margins.

Round Bur

  • Function: Removes decay; available in various sizes for different applications.

References

  1. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (p. 1802). Elsevier Health Sciences.

  2. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (p. 1807). Elsevier Health Sciences.

  3. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (p. 1803). Elsevier Health Sciences.

  4. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (p. 1816). Elsevier Health Sciences.

  5. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (p. 1817). Elsevier Health Sciences.

  6. Bird, Doni L.; Robinson, Debbie S. Modern Dental Assisting - E-Book (pp. 1862-1863). Elsevier Health Sciences.