Are you nervous about your next visit to the dentist? It should alleviate your anxiety a bit if you know about a few common dental tools and why they are used.
Function of a Mirror
The mirror allows the dentist or hygienist to accurately view all surfaces of your teeth.
Dental Explorer and Periodontal Probe
The dental explorer has a sharp tip that is placed on the chewing surfaces of your teeth to determine if a portion of the enamel is soft, or decalcified. Soft enamel indicates that a cavity may be present. The periodontal probe has millimeter markings on it that measure and determine if a patient's gums are healthy or unhealthy.
Dental High Speed Drill
The dentist attaches small cutting instruments, called burs, to the high speed handpiece, commonly called a drill, to cut into the enamel and dentin of a tooth to remove decay. High speeds rotate quickly with water, which prevents the tooth from overheating when removing a cavity. Overheating a tooth could cause damage to the pulp, or nerve of a tooth.
Dental Slow Speed Drill
"Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistry" indicates that the slow speed handpiece is used to remove extensive decay in a tooth that is approaching the pulp, or nerve, of a tooth.Slow speed handpieces rotate at a much slower speed and can be also used to clean and polish teeth and fillings.
Dental X-rays
Dental X-rays are used to view the inside of a tooth and the surrounding bone. Dental X-rays can assist in diagnosing cavities, bone loss and other treatment concerns. The X-rays that are routinely taken in a dental office are bitewings and periapical films, which are smaller films for individual teeth. Panoramic X-rays are used to evaluate your jaws and surrounding structures of the face in a two-dimensional view.
References
- Roberson, Theodore. Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistry, 5th Edition. April 2006.
