Dental Instruments #1 Definitions

Front 1

Black's Formula

Back 1

Formula developed by G.V. Black to standardize the exact size & angulation of an instrument.

Front 2

Amalgam Carrier

Back 2

Designed to carry & dispense amalgam or composite into the cavity preparation.

Front 3

Air Abrasion

Back 3

A technique used for specific dental procedures to remove micro amounts of tooth structure in the cavity prep.

Front 4

Acrylic Burs

Back 4

Used to adjust acrylic materials. Sometimes referred to as lab burs or vulcanite burs.

Front 5

Abrasives

Back 5

Materials that cut or grind a surface leaving grooves & a rough surface; in powder or paste form.

Front 6

Blade

Back 6

Flat working end of an instrument.

Front 7

Bi-angle

Back 7

2 Angles

Front 8

Bi-Beveled

Back 8

Beveled on both sides of the blade.

Front 9

Bevel

Back 9

Slanted edge or side on the working end of an instrument.

Front 10

Angle Former

Back 10

Used to form & define point angles & to sharpen line angles.

Front 11

Amalgam Gun

Back 11

Used to carry & place composites, glass ionomers, & amalgam alloys.

Front 12

Amalgam Condenser

Back 12

Or pluggers, are used to pack amalgam into the cavity preparation.

Front 13

Composite Instrument

Back 13

Very similar to plastic filling, instruments in use & shape. Double ended. Made of high grade thermoplastic material or anadized aluminum.

Front 14

Chuck

Back 14

A small metal cylinder in the head of the handpiece that holds rotary instruments.

Front 15

Chisel

Back 15

Used to shape & plane enamel & dentin walls of cavity preparation.

Front 16

Cement Spatula

Back 16

Single ended & made of stainless steel. Used to mix cement, bases & liners.

Front 17

Carver

Back 17

Used to remove excess restorative materials & carve tooth anatomy in the restoration before the material hardens.

Front 18

Carborundum Disc

Back 18

Also known as Jo-Dandy discs & separating discs, thin brittle disks used to cut & finish gold restorations.

Front 19

Burs

Back 19

Some of the dental rotary instruments used to prepare the cavity, finish & polish restorations, aid in surgical procedures & adjust dental appliances.

Front 20

Burnisher

Back 20

Used to smooth rough margins of the restoration & to shape metal matrix bands.

Front 21

Bur Block

Back 21

Storage containers used to store burs.

Front 22

Excavator

Back 22

Also known as "spoon excavators" used to remove carious materials & debris from teeth.

Front 23

Electric Handpiece

Back 23

Are an alternative to air-driven handpieces.

Front 24

Cutting Edge

Back 24

On a dental instrument, the sharpened edge for refining the cavity preparation.

Front 25

Crown & Collar (Bridge) Scissors

Back 25

Scissors with short blades that may be straight or curved. Used to trim matrix bands, cut retraction cord & a variety of ways.

Front 26

Cotton Plier

Back 26

Shaped like large tweezers, available in locking & non-locking. Used frequently to transport & manipulate various materials.

Front 27

Contra-Angle

Back 27

Attachement head for the low speed handpiece; contra-angles hold burs, discs, stones, rubber cups & brushes for intraoral & extraoral procedures.

Front 28

Latch Type Shank

Back 28

A notch fits into the contra-angle/right-angle handpiece & latches securely into place.

Front 29

Laboratory Spatula

Back 29

Are used to mix impression materials & plaster.

Front 30

Jo-Dandy Disc

Back 30

Carborundum discs, separating discs. Thin, brittle, double sided & used primarily in the dental lab to cut & finish gold restorations. Can be used intraorally as well.

Front 31

Hoe

Back 31

An instrument used in a pulling motion to smooth & shape the floor of the cavity prep.

Front 32

High Speed Handpiece

Back 32

Handpieces used to rapidly cut tooth structure & finish restorations. Rotates between 10,000 & 800,000 rpm.

Front 33

Hatchet

Back 33

Sometimes called enamel hatchets. There is an angle in the shank of the hatchet & the blade is flat.

Front 34

Gingival Marginal Trimmer GMT

Back 34

Similar to the hatchet regarding the position of the blade to the handle, but there are 2 distinct differences. 1 - blade is curved, 2 - cutting edge is at an angle.

Front 35

Friction-Grip Shank

Back 35

A short, small & smooth bur used in friction grip, high speed handpieces.

Front 36

Frictional Heat

Back 36

Heat produced when moving surface contacts together.

Front 37

Finishing Knife

Back 37

Used when trimming excess material.

Front 38

File

Back 38

Endodontic instrument used to enlarge & smooth the canal.

Front 39

Fiber Optic Light Source

Back 39

Available with high-speed handpieces, they greatly improve visability.

Front 40

Explorer

Back 40

Single or double ended instruments, used by the operator to examine the surface of the teeth.

Front 41

Low Speed Handpiece

Back 41

Operates under 30,000 rpm. Used for polishing, removing soft carious materials & define cavity walls.

Front 42

Mandrel

Back 42

Rods of various lengths used in low-speed handpieces; madrels are available in 3 shanks; latch, friction-grip or straight.

Front 43

Manufacturer's Number

Back 43

Number found on the handle of the instrument; used for ordering & identifying the instrument placement in a set.

Front 44

Microetcher

Back 44

A smaller version of the air abrasion units. Used for intraoral sandblasting, dentin bonding, removal of stains, pit & fissure sealant prep.

Front 45

Monangle

Back 45

A dental instrument with a shank that has one angle.

Front 46

Mouth Mirror

Back 46

Small reflective mirror used by the operator to see multiple tooth angles & as a retraction device.

Front 47

Periodontal Probe

Back 47

Calibrated instrument used to measure the depths of periodontal pockets; areas of recession, bleeding or exudate; primary instrument in periodontal exams.

Front 48

Plastic Filling Instrument

Back 48

Used to place & condense pliable restorative materials & to place cement bases in the cavity prep.

Front 49

Plastic Spatula

Back 49

Used to mix composite resin materials.

Front 50

Preset Tray System

Back 50

Most commonly used. Prest for the upcoming procedure or exam.

Front 51

Revolutions Per Minute (rpm)

Back 51

Speeds of dental handpieces.

Front 52

Rheostat

Back 52

Foot pedal on a dental handpiece that controls handpiece speed.

Front 53

Rotary Instrument

Back 53

Instruments that are mechanically driven.

Front 54

Seperating Disc

Back 54

Carborundum Disk

Front 55

Shaft

Back 55

The handle of an instrument.

Front 56

Shank

Back 56

The section of the instrument that connects the handle to the working end.

Front 57

Straight Shank

Back 57

Or long shank, functions with the straight, low speed handpiece.

Front 58

Vulcanite Bur

Back 58

Acrylic Bur

Front 59

Working End

Back 59

Part of the instrument that performs the function.

Front 60

Air-Water Syringe

Back 60

A device the dentist uses that provides air or water on a combination spray of air & water.

Front 61

Dry Angles

Back 61

Triangular pads that absorb the flow of saliva & protect the cheek.

Front 62

High Volume Evacation (HVE)

Back 62

Removing fluids from the patients mouth; also called oral evacuation.

Front 63

Fulcrum

Back 63

The support or point on which a level turns. Position of finger rest for support when working in a patient's mouth.

Front 64

Reverse palm-thumb grasp

Back 64

Grasp with the evacuator tip held in the palm of the hand, thumb directed toward the assistant instead of the patient.

Front 65

Saliva Ejector

Back 65

A low volume suction device that removes saliva & fluids from the patient's mouth.

Front 66

Tactile

Back 66

A feeling sensed by touch.

Front 67

Transfer Zone

Back 67

The area below the patient's nose where instruments & materials are passed & received.

Front 68

Mouth Prop

Back 68

Devices used to prevent patients from closing their mouth.

Front 69

Palm Grasp

Back 69

Holding an instrument in the palm of the hand.

Front 70

Palm-Thumb Grasp

Back 70

The grasping of an instrument that has the handle in the palm of the hand, thumb directed toward the handle & the thumb extended upward from the palm.

Front 71

Pen Grasp

Back 71

The grasping of an instrument in the same manner as one would a pen or a pencil.

Front 72

Modified Pen Grasp

Back 72

Grasping an instrument as one would a pen, except the pad of the middle finger is placed on the top of the instrument with the index finger.