Dental instruments are the tools that dental professionals use to provide dental treatment. They include tools to examine, manipulate, restore and remove teeth and surrounding oral structures. Examination instrument allow the dental professional to manipulate tissues during treatment or during dental examinations.
- Mirror. Dental mirrors are used by the dentist or dental auxiliary to view a mirror image of the teeth in locations where visibility is difficult or impossible. They are also useful for reflecting light onto desired surfaces, indirect vision and with retraction of soft tissues to improve access or vision. Other than showing the interior of the mouth, the mirror magnifies the interior of the mouth.
- The second dental supply for the dentist is called the tweezers. This kind of an instrument will help the dental surgeon to retrieve or place certain objects from as well as into the mouth. Tweezers have a system locking which keeps the object intact.
- Dental probes are the third dental tools. They are like the mirror and they help the dentist to find out different kinds of dental problems like fissures, pits, calculus and carries.
- Another kind of dental tools are the elevators. They are used to remove decay and to test overhangs as well as flash. Dental elevators are also used for procedures including separating tooth or bone membranes, extractions and loosening of the teeth.
- There is also the bur. This instrument is usually used for cutting. Some of the most common types of burs are round, latch, inverted and the right angle bur. They are used to fill the cavities inside the mouth. Burs also smooth away rough edges of the tooth.
- There are also protective gears. These are the tools which are also found in the chamber of the dentist. They include things like gloves, face shields and safety glasses.
- Retractors and mouth props are also tools in dentistry. Retractors allow the dentist to pull a portion of the mouth away to better allow access to another area of the mouth, such as a molar. Props keep the mouth open during dental procedures.
- Pluggers are instruments that are generally used in root canal treatments to plug the nerve canal once the nerve is extracted.
- Periodontal scalers are tools used clean and remove items between teeth.
- Burnishers are tools that help with the filling of cavities.