You may think all carbides are created equal, and that would be a fair assumption. But imagine you are about to remove a three-unit bridge. You know the faster you cut it off, the easier it is for the patient. And in order not to damage the teeth, you often have to cut through the thick, extremely hard metal of the connector. “If you don’t cut off everything nice and neat, when you go to torque the bridge to get it off, you can actually break the teeth off inside the bridge,” says Tony Soileau, DDS, owner of Smiles by Soileau based in Lafayette, LA. “If you are attempting this with a diamond or a regular carbide, you may be cutting on that bridge for 20 minutes.” It’s a pain for the dentist and the patient.

This example, along with many others, shows why it is important to evaluate the carbides you invest in. Here, we take a look at five elements to consider when buying carbides:

For Operative Use

Look for concentric construction: While you may not notice, your patients will be thankful there is no vibration when you cut through the metal on their teeth. Concentric construction of a bur will nearly eliminate vibrations and chatter when you are cutting.

Look for super sharp transversing tips and blade design: You want a powerful cutting performance, especially when it comes to crown removal and gaining endodontic access. To rapidly and efficiently reduce amalgam, porcelain, metal and tooth structure, ensure your carbides are equipped with the advanced technology needed for rapid reduction.

Look for cross-cut blades: Let’s revisit the three-unit bridge scenario.

While a diamond or regular carbide leaves something to be desired, a carbide with cross-cut blades will be able to cut through the crowns (sectioned into pieces) very quickly, creating smooth and accurate definition. “If the crown still doesn’t come off, you can cut through the really thick metal of the connector in just a minute,” Dr. Soileau says. “And the really nice thing about a carbide with cross-cut blades is you don’t have to worry about what type of metal the crown is made of—you just rip right on through it.”

Look for cooler cutting: “If I was removing the amalgam with a

diamond or traditional bur, that would probably take about five to 10

minutes,” Dr. Soileau says. “The longer it takes to cut, the more heat it is

going to generate. The more heat you generate, the better chance you are going

to create reversible pulpitis, causing the tooth to stay sensitive for three or

four days.” A carbide that remains cool even when cutting (and offers a quick

cutting time to boot!) reduces the chance of pulp tissue damage.

For Sculpt Use

Look for one step finishing: Time is money, so trimming and finishing in one step is ideal—if done well. You may be used to getting a silicone cup on a tooth, revving it up and going and going until the tooth is smooth. “That is all fine and good, but you just generated a lot of heat, melted your margins and wore out your polishing cup,” Dr. Soileau says. “You just wasted a lot.” If you are instead able to get rid of all the

scratches in the finer anatomy with a bur, you would be able to finish with a polishing cup in just a few seconds. “The point is, after you fill up the prep with resin, you are going to use some sort of bur to refine the anatomy,” he says. “You are going to do that step regardless—why not use one of the sculptors that not only carve out your anatomy, but, at the same time, get rid of the scratches?”

Where can you find all of these elements in one set of carbides?

Razor Carbides from Kerr possess all of these features, plus more. “Next time you have a gold crown sitting on a second molar, a bridge with four or five crowns or a case where you would normally go through five or six diamonds, constantly having to change them, try Razor carbides,” Dr. Soileau says. “One Razor bur could cut all

of them off easily. Start using Razor carbides in your most challenging cases, and you will find yourself using them every time you pick up your drill.”