7 Common Mistakes with Dental Burs

Whether it is to extend the life of your burs, avoid pain for the patient, or avoid breakage of the handpiece, you will certainly want to know the precautions to take when using your dental burs.

1. Use worn or dull burs

The bad idea: Maximize the cost of the bur by using it as much as possible; however, it will take you longer to complete the same task than with a bur in good condition.

The right thing to do: Change your burs BEFORE EACH use. Even if you inspect your bur, you may not see signs of wear or damage, it is important to replace them after every use. Damaged burs can damage the handpiece and cause pain to the patient.

2. Applying excessive pressure to the bur

The bad idea: Applying pressure will make the bur more effective and we save time.

The thing to do: Too much pressure could cause unwanted heat and bur failure. In fact, applying pressure to the bur is very often a sign that the bur needs to be replaced. Damaged burs may damage the handpiece and cause pain to the patient.

3. Removing the bur at too steep an angle

The bad idea: When the bur seems difficult to remove, we tend to move it around to find the easiest angle to remove it from the handpiece.

The right thing to do: Always remove the bur when it is in a neutral position in the handpiece. This will prevent potential breakage of the bur, but also the internal parts of your handpiece. Do not force the bur into the handpiece. If access is difficult, check the handpiece turbine and bur, and refer to the handpiece troubleshooting instructions.

4. Keep the bur in a static position during use

The bad idea: Leave the bur in the same place on the tooth to reduce the cutting or procedure time.

The right thing to do: To avoid localized heating and bur damage, move it continuously when in use.