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Dental Materials & Instruments

Dentistry has evolved from being an allied area of medicine to a full-fledged profession. Today, there are several specializations for dentists, and general dentists, as well as dentists within each specialty, who use a wide variety of different tools and materials in conducting their jobs. Although there are innumerable professional implements used by dentists, several fundamental tools are staples in the dental industry and used to some extent by almost every dentist.

  1. Mouth Mirror

    • The mouth mirror is a dentist's indispensable companion. Also referred to as the dentist's mirror, it is the equivalent of the doctor's stethoscope. It is the basic instrument that a dentist of any specialization uses to get a feel of any dental problem. It is a long-handled steel instrument with a small mirror at the end, similar to a long spoon with a mirror at one end. This instrument allows the dentist a close up, although inverted, image of the particular tooth on which it is focused. This is used because there are some areas of the mouth, such as the corners and jaws, which cannot be seen in any position by the dentist. The mouth mirror is usually the first instrument that dentists use to examine the teeth or gums. This can allow dentists to easily spot abrasions, scars or cracks in the mouth.

    Periodontal Scaler

    • A periodontal scaler is also frequently used by most dentists. This instrument is made of steel, too. It is a tube that has a handle in the middle and hooklike, sharp forked ends. The ends are used to remove objects such as accumulated stains and plaque from the teeth. One or both of the sharp ends are used to poke crowns or fills and/or remove them to make way for another filling. This is used to find out if the old crown has a problem or has caused a problem on the tooth on which it was placed. These problems can occur when a crown becomes worn out over time.

    Dental Elevator

    • A dental elevator is the instrument a dentist uses for extracting a tooth. A dental elevator can be thought of as the dental version of cutting pliers. It consists of a handle with a sharp, broad elevating edge at one side. Once the tooth that has to be extracted is identified, this end part of the elevator is used to pull the tooth out. This instrument has a bend at the other end that is used to buffet the patient's cheek. The intention is to reduce pressure and pain during extraction.

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