Frequently asked questions about dental instruments!

If the clamps have a good image, you can immediately distinguish if it has wings or not, but if not, here are some tips!

• Manufacturers usually describe their products as "Winged" or "Wingless".
• The wings of the clamps are used to position them in conjunction with the rubber dam in the patient's mouth (one step). In the case of wingless clamps, first the clamp is placed on the tooth and then the rubber dam (two steps).

How do I know which spacer, gate burs or gutta-percha tips I need?

Breathe! Your teachers will tell you what measurements or special characteristics this type of material should have.

To buy a dental spacer you need to know whether it should be digital or manual and what exact size is required. At Dentaltix, we have a wide range of dental spacers. Take a look!

In the case of Gates cutters, also known as Gates Glidden reamers, you need to know the length and diameter you require, they are usually sold in packs of 6 cutters of assorted sizes or a pack of 6 matching cutters. Find your Gates burrs!

And finally, in the case of Gutta-percha tips you should know that these are used to fill root canals and there are different sizes available. As a general rule, the diameter of the gutta-percha cone you choose is the same as the diameter of the last endodontic file you used and you can fill the canal with accessory gutta-percha tips. Also, conicity and radiopacity should be taken into account when choosing your tips. Your teachers will undoubtedly specify in detail what you will need.

IMPORTANT: Many dental materials are available in different sizes or particular measurements. In order for all manufacturers to standardise these measurements, an ISO standard that follows a colour code is very often used. Don't forget that if you have any questions, we can always help you, please write to hello@dentaltix.com and we will be happy to answer you.

Which articulator is ideal? What are the most common differences between the different packs?

Most of the time your university professors will give you 2 or 3 brands and models of dental articulator to choose from. However, at Dentaltix we understand that this choice is not an easy one, because you have not yet become an expert, but you will become one - take heart!

You should know that the articulator is a tool that will allow you to recreate the patient's jaw movements. It's like having a 24-hour copy of the patient available to you, but without actually having it. There are non-adjustable, semi-adjustable and fully adjustable articulators. The one that is usually required for dental practices is the semi-adjustable one, with which you can individualise some parameters. Not all, but the most important ones.

There is also another way of classifying them which is chest and non-chest. There are some clinical situations that require a non-arch type articulator, such as rehabilitation with bilateral balanced occlusion. However, it is normal to choose an arch-type articulator, which allows a more precise adjustment of the trajectory of the condyle. Many articulators also include the facebow and facebow boxes. The latter is also a point you may want to consider.

In short, the ideal articulator for the dental student is the semi-adjustable chest articulator with facebow and carrying case. It will not only accompany you during your studies, but also throughout your professional life. It is worth it to buy a good quality articulator.

Is the standard facebow enough or is it preferable to invest more in the elite facebow?

First of all, we must know that the facebow is an instrument used to record the relationship of the upper arch with one or more of the patients anatomical reference points in order to subsequently transfer this relationship to the articulator.

In the Archimedes Protusal Arch (A7 Plus E) articulator by Mestra By Bio-art you can choose if you want your arch Standard or Elite.

Both the Standard and Elite bows are anatomically shaped and have butterflies for manual tightening without the use of a spanner. In the case of the Standard arch, the complete facebow must be fixed to the articulator to transfer the setting, whereas the Elite facebow has a more advanced articulation and fixation system that makes it unnecessary to fix the complete facebow to the articulator. Another advantage of the Elite bow is that its Nasion is height adjustable and, in conjunction with the infraorbital indicator, makes registration even more accurate.

A Standard facebow is sufficient for what you need at university, but an Elite facebow will certainly make your job easier.

How do the warranties work?

Depends on the manufacturer. This can be for 1 or 2 years, although rotary instrument kits usually lifetime warranties

What are the differences between rotary instruments with and without light, and what are the differences between the different connections?

Some instruments have a light to provide greater visibility of the parts you are working on, the light can be generated in two ways:

1. Through an optical fibre installed in the equipment and in the instruments themselves, to which you connect the instruments .
2. Self-generated LED light by means of a very small dynamo inside the instruments. This second way is your best alternative if you want a rotary instrument with light, because you don't need the hose to which you connect the rotary to have a fibre optic.

Please note that light is an extra that enhances your instruments, it is not a must-have feature.