Photo by Ibrahim Boran

5 Essential Dental Instruments Every Dentist Should Have

Introduction:

Importance of Dental Instruments in Dental Practice:

It should go without saying that, as a driver needs a car to drive, a pilot needs an airplane to fly, and a doctor needs his/her instruments to treat the patients as well. It is important to have a proper set of instruments to have a proper functioning clinic, they both go hand in hand.

Purpose of this article:

The purpose of this article is simple, it is to make it known why are instruments necessary for a clinic and its proper functioning. It intends to also give an idea of which instruments are of utmost importance and should be available in a clinic at all times and why. This article also tried to give a general idea to new dentists on how to invest their money when opening their first clinic so that they can make better choices and don't end up buying what they won’t need for a while.

Because sometimes you buy what you don't need or don't have an idea of how it works and it's at this time that the investment might go to waste and you start to question your decision to open a clinic. Hope this article helps you in cutting down on those momentary bad decisions that we make.

So, here are those 5 basic dental instruments that every dentist should keep in their clinic and have their stocks full with it.

Photo by Caroline LM

Mouth Mirror:

As it should be very obvious that mouth mirrors are one of those instruments which are very basic but very essential. And it is one of those instruments that one should have an abundance of as you might never know when you require a new set. It is a hand-held instrument consisting of a circular mirror attached to a long handle.

The main function of this instrument is to provide a clear vision to the dentist and to also provide an indirect vision when you are working on the posterior aspect of the patient's mouth. Sometimes it also serves the purpose of restricting the patient's tongue when required. It is an instrument that one should have an abundance of because even though if they are usable, they are supposed to be sanitized after each treatment and if you have multiple patients throughout the day, it practically becomes hazardous, even if you think of reusing the and sanitized mouth mirror again to another patient. Apart from being hazardous, it is also very harmful to one's career.

These mouth mirrors are available in different sizes, but it is usually recommended to have the standard one as it solves most of the purpose.

1. Standard mouth mirror: As the name suggests, they Are of standard size and can be used for any purpose with regard to the dental treatment of a patient. They are usable in both adult patients and children as well. They provide a clear vision, both direct and indirect as they are also able to take advantage of their size to reflect light on the required area
2. Front mouth mirror: They have a coating on the mirror, providing a much clearer reflective surface which enables the dentist to have clear vision while reflecting the light on the surface that he wants to be visible.
3. Double-sided mirrors: This instrument has mirrors on both sides, allowing the dentist to have a clear vision from any desirable angle that he or she wants to look from.

Double-Sided Dental Mirror

Choosing a dental mirror can be very subjective but it is recommended To always have the standard mirror as it is usable for most of the purposes that one might encounter in the clinic. It is also a wise step to have multiple or at least three mouth mirrors in the clinic so that they can be used when you have multiple patients on the same day reducing the cycle of sterilization required for the instrument thus increasing its life and also not compromising patient's overall health.

Dental Probe

Probe:

A dental probe is a long thin instrument that features a pointed tip sometimes with demarcation, They are usually made of metal. The tip of the probe is used To explore the teeth and gums and pocket formations around the teeth. They are usually called periodontal instruments but are very important in a dental clinic. These instruments also gave the idea of a patient's overall oral hygiene which is very important for a proper diagnosis and treatment planning of the patient.

The dental probe comes in various types and sizes, depending on the dental procedure being done on the patient.

• Straight probe: It is the most common type of dental instrument, featuring a straight shaft and a pointed tip.
• Periodontal probe: This type of dental probe has markings along its shaft that allows the dentist to measure the depth of the pocket that might be present in the gums of the patient.

To ensure the longevity of the instrument, these instruments also need to be sterilized, these are not only for the namesake of the longevity of the instrument but also keeping in mind that it has to go inside the patient's mouth, not taking care of these instruments can lead to the formation of harmful infections in the patient's mouth not only causing a problem in the dental procedure but also tarnishing the reputation of the dentist.

Personally, it is recommended to have at least three sets of each of these probes to establish a perfect cycle of sterilization and use.

Dental Tweezer

Tweezers

Tweezers, also known as forceps are dental instruments used for holding, grasping, and manipulating other dental materials according to the will of the operator. They are usually used for manipulating and placing cotton rolls inside the patient’s mouth.

They are typical with long handles and with small angled tips.

There are several types of tweezers available that one should have in their dental practice, each having a specific function, namely:

• College tweezers: These are the most common type of tweezers and have a straight, fine tip which is usually used for grasping most dental materials and other objects like cotton rolls.
• Curved tweezers: They have a curved tip which usually gives you much more room to maneuver in an already small oral cavity of a patient, they usually fulfill the same set of criteria as that of the college tweezers but are able to provide much more maneuverability and visibility inside a patient’s oral cavity.
• Crown and bridge tweezers: These have wide tips, made especially for holding crowns, bridges and implants, and other dental materials.
• Needle holder tweezers: As the name suggests, it is designed and used specifically for holding and maneuvering needles, it has a locking mechanism that is designed to hold the needle in place for suturing to avoid any mishaps during the dental procedure.

It is the same as other instruments and it also requires to be sterilized for its longevity and cleanliness. I would also recommend you to have all four types of tweezers in a pair of three but it completely boils down to the way you want it to be as having a pair of all four or only a set of the four won't make a difference. If you’re good with the way you handle the tweezers, you can also buy them according to your desire, i.e. if you don't want to buy crown and bridge tweezers and you feel like you'd be OK with that, it’s completely your call.

Photo by Ozkan Guner 

Rotary Instruments (Burs, Files, etc.) / Drills:

As the name suggests, these are rotary instruments that are used for cavity preparation, crown preparation/cutting, polishing, etc. These deserve a blog post on themselves and maybe we will talk about them someday, but most dentists are well aware of what they are used for. Now keep in mind that I’m not talking about hand-piece though there are types of different hand-pieces as well they have a place of their own in the future of the blogs but not now.

There are several types of these coming in various sizes, keeping them sterilized is also important, and considering the fact that treating cavities is a dentist's bread and butter it’s important to have as much as you can. But still, if I have to give an arbitrary number, I’d say that it’s more than enough if you have 3 of each.

Photo by Caroline LM

Scalers

These are hand-held instruments used for removing plaque and other debris. They have a pointed curved tip that can be used for the purpose of scraping away unwanted debris from the surface of the tooth.

As there are several types of scalers all with various sizes and angles, overall they are made for the same thing and that is curettage. Some of them are:

• Curettes
• Universal scalers
• Gracey curettes

All of them have different shapes and sizes but the end goal to use a scaler is the same and that is to clean the surface of the tooth and the structures around it with much more precision that at times cannot be achieved with normal cleaning methods. Though they deserve a blog of their own it is better not to talk about it today, to keep it simple.

These instruments are also sterilized to keep their longevity and to keep it clean so that they can be used on patients it is important to have several sets of them, as discussed in almost every other subtopic of this blog because it is one of those important instruments that is required in almost all of the dental treatments or at least for the treatment planning. Having the number of these instruments available at your disposal in your clinic is an important thing as they are required in almost all of the procedures and not having an ample amount of these is like saying no to a patient for their treatment. These instruments are the type of investment that can seem like a waste of money at first but is one of the most important ones for the long run of the clinic as the investment might not be that huge for some but the return on investment is huge.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, investing in instruments such as these is not only important in providing high-quality dental treatment to patients but also a smart long-term investment for any dental clinic. By using these instruments you’ll not only provide effective dental care to your patients, but as a dentist you’d be playing an important role in preventing many serious problems that the patient might face in the future, making your reputation much more credible. And by investing in these high-quality instruments in the long run you’ll also prevent yourself from facing any costly repairs and replacements in the future. Therefore as a dental professional, you should prioritize investing in these high-quality, reliable dental instruments as a key component of your practice.