What Kind of Tools Do Dentists Use?
Ask most folks what kinds of tools dentists use and they will quickly reply, "Ones that hurt." While this may be the case, that doesn't shed any light onto the names or functions of the tools often lined up like little soldiers on the trays. Dentists use many types of tools to poke around gums, scrape around teeth and gaze intently into their patients' mouths.
History
Anyone who thinks dental tools are horrific today should have been around several years ago when they were much less advanced. Early forceps were usually fashioned by blacksmiths and featured blunter edges than the fine-tuned tools of today. Another popular tool was the tooth key. The simplest tooth key, dating back to the 1700s, resembles a regular old antique key used to unlock doors of that era. The end of the tooth key was abutted next to one area of the tooth, the dentist's finger near another area, and the key was turned to extract the tooth.
Types
Dental instruments range from the innocuous mirror they use to gaze behind teeth to the evil-looking tiny scraper that always ends up irritating the gums. They also fall into different categories. The friendliest of the tools, if they can be called friendly, are the examination tools, which range from the cute little mirror to the curettes. The surgical tools are probably the most hideous because they are the most invasive. The bulk of them are made up of a number of scissors to better create incisions and a plethora of forceps with different types of heads to better gouge out small things from small infected places.
Identification
To the untrained eye, a large number of the dental tools appear to be identical. One of the most popular looks is a thin bar with some type of hook, crook or scary-looking pokey-thing on each side of the bar. Look a little closer and differences in the design can be noted, which gives away the function. Curettes, which feature poking edges, probe about the gum line to check for sensitivity and health of the gums. Scalers, complete with broader heads, scrape the plaque away. Excavators, which often feature a little spoon type appendage on each end, are used to dig out decay. Amalgam pluggers, with a flatter or ball-shaped pair of ends, are the tools used to push down and stabilize fillings.
Features
Whether the dental tool is hell-like or harmless, many share common traits. The tools are usually equipped with a handle for easy gripping and easy sticking into a mouth. Stainless steel is the most popular material of choice, both for its sleek, sterile look and ability to be easily cleaned and sterilized.
Warning
While dentists use sterilizations, that process is not always 100 percent effective. An article by Elsevier, Inc., brought to light some disturbing facts in 2003. Many instruments used by dentists in the United Kingdom were not all that clean after the sterilization process. Instruments that had been used and then sterilized were scrutinized under a light microscope and scanned with electrons. Of the instruments used in general dentist practices, 76 were contaminated, as were 14 percent of the instruments used by a dental hospital.
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