Instruments Used By This Dentist in Dallas, Texas

If you’ve spent any time in a dentist’s chair, you’ve probably seen some bizarre, cool, and even very clever instruments for producing great smiles, and this dentist in Dallas, Texas is no different!  There are so many instruments in the world of dentistry that it would be seemingly impossible to learn the name and function of each, but we’ll do our best to give you an explanation of some of the instruments we use  in our Dallas, TX dentist’s office.  However, there are many instruments that are very cool, as well as very unique to the world of dentistry.

1. Mirror and Explorer

The first couple of the most common  instruments are a mirror and explorer.  These  instruments are very common to every dentist in Dallas office as they are used to see and “explore” teeth.  A mirror is a mandatory instrument as every good dentist needs to be able  to accurately assess teeth, both healthy and with pathology.  An explorer is equally as valuable as an important instrument to detect decayed areas on a tooth surface.   What makes these tools very cool is that they are unique to the field of dentistry.

2. Excavator

Another very cool  instrument in the world of dentistry is the excavator.  The excavator is used to check and remove very small areas of decay within a portion of tooth structure.  Without the help of an excavator, the act of treating and removing decaying tissues such as cavities would be much more tedious.

3. Retractors

Retractors are great  instruments which allow the dental professional to mould the patient’s mouth in any position in order to assure ease of access to the location being worked on.  Retractors come in all shapes and sizes.  Different types of retractors include mouth props, dental mirrors, as well as tongue, cheek, and lip retractors. Without the help of these retractors, practitioners would be forced to find measures in order to keep the patient’s mouth open for prolonged periods of time.

4. Electronic Apex Locator

An electronic apex locator is a device which is used in order to measure the overall length of a root canal space. This hand-held device is very useful and an important device a dentist needs to accurately measure the length of the root canal space when completing a root canal procedure on a tooth.  It is very important to know the exact length of the root canal space as overestimating or underestimating the length may can have a negative impact on the completion of the procedure.

5. Dental Forceps

Lastly, there are dental forceps. Dental forceps are primarily used for tooth extraction and a designed specifically for this purpose as well. The  instruments itself actually greatly resembles the shape and function of a pair of household pliers. However, dental forceps have somewhat pointed tips that face inward towards each other in order to grasp the tooth. There are different types of forceps that are used for the extraction of the various different types of teeth.

Feel Free to Ask About Any Other Instruments You May See!

The world of dentistry is full of many interesting and useful  instruments. Many of the  instruments seen in a dentist’s office may may seem confusing or scary, but once you know what they are used for and how they can help your mouth, you’ll find them a lot less intimidating – maybe even cool! If you have any questions about dental tools or procedures and how they help, feel free to contact your dentist in Dallas, Texas.  Dr. Miller is a Dallas dentist with dental instruments.