Dental Burs and Bur Blocks

The Dental bur (often called a Carbide) is one of the primary tools of restorative dentistry. It is the Dentists scalpel, which she uses to artfully and accurately carve away tooth structure for all of her procedures. Often thought of as ‘just a bur’, there are a lot of options and things to consider when making your purchase.

Shape, Length, Style

A look through any manufacturer’s website or catalog will show a complete profile of each bur offered, divided into sections by their intended usage. Once you have decided on the shape you want, here are a few tips for selecting the right bur.

Length – Generally burs are purchased in standard lengths. However, most shapes also come in Short Shank and Oral Surgery lengths (short and long respectively). Having a variety of lengths on hand can help with access into tight spaces. Often a Dentist will short chuck a standard length bur – that is, insert the bur only part way into the chuck to allow a bit more reach. This can work, but there is a cost. Because the shank of the bur is not completely engaged in the chuck, it will slip more. This creates excess heat, decreases cutting efficiency, and actually damages the gripping fingers of the turbine chuck. The proper solution is to purchase a longer shank bur, and always insert it completely into the chuck.

One piece vs. Two piece burs – Carbides will often be advertised as One Piece or Two Piece. The suggestion is that the one piece bur is a more accurate, higher quality tool vs. a two piece bur. This is not necessarily true, as it really boils down to the quality of each specific brand, shape, and intended use of the bur.

Shank Style – Carbide catalogs list several types of burs for each shape. RA, LA, FG, and HP are all references to the type of handpiece they will fit. FG or Friction Grip burs are intended to be used in friction grip handpieces such as a high speed. RA and LA (right angle and latch angle – which mean the same thing) are meant for latch angle handpieces, including push button latch handpieces. HP or Handpiece burs are intended to be used with a straight nose cone handpiece.

Burs vs. Diamonds

When one compares the price of a carbide bur and a diamond bur, the costs appear dramatically different. It should be remembered however, that the carbide bur is generally intended to be a single use device. The cutting edge wears quickly, and efficiency is reduced. The diamond bur is intended to be cleaned, sterilized, and reused several times, until the diamond cutting edges are worn. Diamonds are manufactured to better tolerances, and are considered to be more accurate cutting tools.

New on the market are single use diamonds. The idea is that you can have superior cutting and accuracy for only a little more cost than the carbide. Trial and error is the best way to determine if this is the right choice for your practice. In practice, a mixture of both carbide burs and diamonds are required for efficient dentistry.

Bur Blocks

Dental Bur Blocks are a necessity in your operatory. Some practices keep one well stocked block in the operatory, replacing burs as they are used. Others will keep small blocks in their setup trays, with an assortment of appropriate burs for the specific setup. Whichever style best describes your particular practice; there are some tips to consider when choosing your bur block.

Size - This will vary depending on your intended use.

Material – Bur blocks are commonly available in plastic, aluminum, and Plexiglas. As long as they are steam sterilizable, there is no real advantage in using any one of these over another.

Bur Retention – There are three main methods of keeping the bur in the block. The first is simply mechanical retention, where the hole itself grips the bur. This is probably the most problematic; as it means that you must push the burs in, and pull them out against friction each time. As the block ages, the holes become loose, and the burs will fall out on their own. Magnetic retention blocks are the most popular style. These blocks have a magnet in the base which grips the bur. They hold well and last a long time, but can still lose burs when dropped or dumped in the sterilizer or ultrasonic cleaner. Covered bur blocks are growing in popularity.

These do add an element of complexity to the block, with a lid that must be either removed or flipped out of the way when it is time to gain access to the bur. The benefits outweigh the negatives however, as these blocks provide physical security against the loss of burs, as well as providing physical protection to the bur cutting surface from other objects.

You can find dental burs and bur blocks for sale in our store. If you wish to learn more about dental burs, you can visit this entry in Wikepedia.

Tags: Dental Burs and Bur Blocks, Dental Equipment