Content area
Full text
ABSTRACT
A clinical expertise behind the use of sharp hand and rotary instruments requires ability and coordination gained only through extensive training. For the performance of detailed dental procedures, the clinician must possess adequate knowledge behind the application of dental instruments. During clinical practice, the dentist operates on oral tissues within the oral cavity where even 1 mm discrepancy is crucial behind success and failure. The present article reviews the role of highspeed instruments used in division of fixed prosthodontics and their regulatory mechanisms.
Key words: burs, rotary, speed, water, spray, diamond points
INTRODUCTION
In the initial days, tooth structure removal was done using hatchets, sharp-edged chisels, and hoes. These handheld cutting instruments were used for removing undermined and unsupported enamel resulting from dental caries. These methods were time consuming and often pose difficulty.11'21
The first rotary instruments consisted of drills or bur heads that could be twisted in the finger to produce cutting or abrading action. By 1957, many dentists were using rotational speeds up to 3,00,000 rpm. The introduction of air-bearing handpiece in early 1950 made possible greater rotational speeds of approximately 5,00,000 rpm.1,141 In 1953, an ultrasonic method of tooth tissue removal was also introduced, which used suitably shaped tips vibrating at frequencies ranging from 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 cycles - per seconds. This brief historical background reveals that the profession has been searching for a suitable method of tooth tissue removal. ?
It is only recently around 30 years, this hunt has slowed down, but still, the dental profession is trying to refine the instruments and procedures as much as possible within the human dexterity.
LITERATURE REVIEW
An extensive research was done in PubMed and Scopus databases from 1990 to 2015 using following mesh words such as rotary, speed, water, spray, diamond points, and burs, and a total of 88 articles were found. Of which 10 articles were finally selected, analyzed, and summarized as per the relevance to constitute this review article.
A dental handpiece is a vital tool in dental practice that performs functions such as removal of tooth decay, tooth preparation, and finishing and polishing of dental restorations. The first known air rotary handpiece was manufactured in 1868 by Green. Later on in 1873, electric handpiece technology evolved and...