Plastic Dental Instruments

Dental instruments come in all types and materials, included metal, wood and plastic. Metal is strong and durable, but can be damaging if used too forcefully. Wood is more forgiving, but plastic is forgiving as well, plus it's more sanitary and you can sterilize it more easily. Plastic dental instruments are used both in dental offices as well as the home.

Pick

• Plastic dental picks are common dental instruments used both in the dentist's office and in the home. You can purchase plastic dental picks inexpensively from convenience stores and pharmacies. Plastic is a great material for home dental picks because metal dental picks can cause scratching or chipping of the tooth if used too forcefully.

Wedge

• The plastic wedge is exclusively intended for use in the dentist's office. Dentists use plastic dental wedges to wedge between teeth to find and repair cavities. Dental wedges come in other materials as well, such as wood, but plastic is used more commonly now.

Filling Instrument

• Dentists use a filling instrument to fill cavities. The filling instrument has two sides, a plugger end and a paddle end. The plugger end is used for restorative material of the tooth, and the paddle end is for placing temporary restorative materials for cavity filling.

Toothbrush

• The toothbrush is the most commonly used plastic dental instrument. It's generally intended for home use to clean plaque from teeth, remove food particles and prevent cavities. It is advised to brush your teeth after meals and at least after you wake up and before you sleep at night.