Diamond Burs for Dental Procedures: Effectiveness & Limitations

Rotary dental instruments enable dental health professionals to remove pieces of tooth matter and shape teeth during procedures. The instruments that are diamond plated are called burs. Diamond-plated burs have some limitations, including decreased cutting effectiveness over time and a short lifetime, according to a study by the University of Minnesota, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Diamond burs are fashioned of diamond and metallic binders on differently shaped tips.

Round Bur

• Dentists use round diamond burs to perform many dental procedures. According to the book "Competency Skills for the Dental Assistant," (CSDA) round-bur uses include single-surface cavities, opening tooth-pulp chambers, and drilling retention holes.

Inverted Cone Bur

• Inverted-cone diamond burs are used to make an undercut in preparation for a dental restoration. The undercut provides a mechanical latch to keep a filling or other dental preparation in place.

Straight Plain-Fissure and Crosscut Bur

• Dentists use straight plain-fissure diamond burs to prepare the parallel wall areas or floor areas for dental work. Straight-fissure with crosscut burs provide the same purpose but contain more cutting areas.

Tapered-Fissure and Crosscut Diamond Bur

• Dentists use tapered-fissure diamond burs to slightly diverge parallel wall cuts, according to the CSDA. The tapered-fissure crosscut bur performs the same function but has more cutting edges than does the regular tapered-fissure bur.

End-cutting Bur

• Dentists use end-cutting diamond burs to prepare a shoulder margin for crowns or metal-ceramic restorations. A shoulder margin means that a margin intersects with the tooth surface at a 90-degree angle.

Flame Bur

• Dentists use diamond flame burs to do fine detail work. They also provide good bulk reduction. Dentists may also use flame burs to bevel tooth margins.

Cylinder Bur

• Dentists choose diamond cylinder burs for shoulder preparation, such as for a dental crown. They also reduce tooth bulk.

Round Bur

• Two round bur styles are available: round-edge wheel diamond burs and round-end taper diamond burs. Dentists use round-edge wheel burs for feathering gold inlays and opening and contouring the biting and chewing surfaces of teeth. The round-end taper bur can reduce bulk and provide the finish on margins. They may also prepare finish lines for dental procedures.