If you were an electrician you wouldn’t go anywhere without your current detector. If you were a painter you wouldn’t go anywhere with your paint, rollers or brushes, and ladder. Well, dentists have their tools, too. The difference is that everybody knows what a paintbrush is, and nobody is afraid of paint or an electrician’s tools, but people are afraid of dental tools. Every profession has its tools and you may as well be familiar with them.
Dental Tools
Just like a carpenter repairs homes, and electricians repair circuits, your dentist repairs your teeth. And just like carpenters and electricians need their specialty tools designed for the type of work they do, so do dentists. The mere difference is that…dentist’s tools are used in your mouth, and yes that can be scary. However, the more you know about dental tools the less fearful they will be. So today we are giving you an introduction to some of the most commonly used dental tools.
Dental scaler: The scaler is the tool that your dentist or hygienist uses to remove tartar from your teeth and from around your gums.
Ultrasonic scaler: With today’s technology an ultrasonic scaler is available for teeth with large tartar deposits. It is a motorized instrument that vibrates at high speeds to loosen tartar.
Explorer: The explorer is a sharp instrument that pokes and probes to detect cavities and locate the presence of periodontal pockets.
Dental drill: The dental drill is a motorized tool that is used to remove tooth decay and shape an opening for the dental filling.
Prophy polisher: The polisher is a motorized instrument equipped with a soft rubber cup. Your dentist or hygienist smoothes and polishes your teeth as one of the final steps during a dental exam by using special toothpaste and the hand-held prophy polisher. This step is performed because it is more difficult for bacterial plaque to adhere to smooth surfaces.
ABOUT YOUR FORT WORTH, TX DENTIST:
With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Steven M. Huffstutler and his caring team proudly provide exceptional preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatment to patients and their families across Dallas/Ft. Worth, including North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities. We also have extensive experience helping patients find relief from painful TMJ disorders (various forms of jaw dysfunction). To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huffstutler, contact his Fort Worth, TX office today by calling 817-918-3038.