Chapter 34

Dental Hand Instruments

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Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Introduction
A wide variety of dental instruments are
used in dentistry today.

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Identifying Hand Instruments

Referred to by:

Name
Assigned number
Blacks instrument formula
Describes the angulation.
Describes the dimensions.

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Hand Instrument Design

Handle

Portion of the instrument where the

operator grasps.
Shank
Part of the instrument that attaches the
working end to the handle.
Working end
Portion of the instrument with a specific
function.

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Classification of Instruments
Four categories
Examination
Hand-cutting
Restorative
Accessory

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Examination Instruments
Allow the operator to thoroughly

examine the health status of the oral

cavity.
Mouth mirror
Indirect vision
Light reflection
Retraction
Tissue protection

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Examination Instruments contd

Explorer

Distinguish areas of calculus.

Distinguish decay.
Distinguish areas of discrepancies on
teeth.
Cotton Pliers
Carry, retrieve and place small
objects.
Locking
Non-locking

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Examination Instruments contd

Periodontal probe

Measure the sulcus or pocket depth of

the periodontium.
Articulating paper and holder
Carbon paper held in place by a holder
used to check a patients bite.

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Handcutting Instruments
Allow the operator to manually remove

decay, as well as smooth, finish, and

prepare tooth structure to be restored
back to its normal function.
Excavator is used for the removal of soft
dentin, debris, and decay from the tooth.
Spoon excavator
Black spoon

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Handcutting Instruments contd

Hoe
Used to plane the walls and floors of the
tooth preparation.
Chisel
Used to cut the enamel margin of the
tooth preparation, form sharp lines, point
angles, and place retention grooves.
Straight chisel
Bin-angle chisel
Wedelstaedt chisel
Angle former
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Handcutting Instruments contd

Hatchet

Used for cutting enamel, and to smooth

the walls and floors of the tooth
preparation.
Gingival margin trimmer
Used to cut enamel and place bevels
along the gingival enamel margins of
the preparation.

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Restorative Instruments
Allow the operator to place, condense,

and carve a dental material to the original

anatomy of the tooth structure.
Amalgam carrier
A double-ended instrument designed
with wells on either end to pack the
freshly mixed amalgam in and carry it
to the prepared tooth.

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Restorative Instruments contd

Condenser

Used to condense the freshly placed

amalgam into the preparation.
Smooth
Serrated
Burnisher
Used to smooth the surface of the freshly
placed amalgam restoration.
Egg-shaped
Football
T-shaped
Beaver tail
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Restorative Instruments contd

Carvers
Used to remove excess material, contour
surfaces, and carve anatomy back into the
amalgam or intermediate restoration before
it hardens.
Discoid/Cleoid
Hollenback
Amalgam knife
Used for the removal of excess restorative
material along the margin where the
material and tooth structure meet; most
commonly interproximal.
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Restorative Instruments contd

Composite placement instrument

Designed specifically for the placement

of composite restorative materials.
Anodized aluminum
Teflon
Plastic instrument
Instrument with a paddle shape that is
used for carrying dental materials to
the prepared tooth structure; on the
other end is a nib, which resembles a
condenser.

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Accessory Instruments
Miscellaneous instruments that may be

needed for many uses to complete a

procedure.
Spatulas
Used for most every procedure when a
dental material is involved.
Cement spatulas
Impression material spatulas

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Accessory Instruments contd

Scissors

Used for cutting dental dam material,

retraction cord, and stainless steel
crowns.
Crown and bridge scissors
Dappen Dish
Hold certain liquid dental materials
during a procedure.

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Accessory Instruments contd

Amalgam well

Where the newly mixed amalgam is

placed and retrieved from.
Howe Pliers
Also referred to as 110 pliers. Useful for
holding items, for carrying cotton
products to and from the oral cavity,
removing the matrix band, and placing
and removing the wedge.

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Preset Cassettes
Hand instruments and related accessories

for a given procedure are prepared,

stored, and transported together.
Exam
Amalgam
Composite
Crown and Bridge
Endodontic
Surgical

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Instrument Sequence on a Tray

Criteria
Instruments set-up from left to right
Basic set-up
Additional examination instruments
Handcutting instruments
Restorative instruments
Accessory items

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Color Coding of Instruments

Organization
Instruments with bands of same color.
Tray of the same color.
Tub with dental materials of the same
color.

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