Dental Instruments

We don’t want patients to feel nervous at Bishop & Bishop Dental in Silver Spring. Too many people have preventable tooth decay because they’ve missed regular appointments. Since dental instruments are often the source of patients’ anxiety, we wanted to get patients used to them by explaining how they work.
The instruments dentists and hygienists use the most often are the handheld mirror and the explorer. The handheld mirror allows us to move the patient’s cheek away from their teeth in addition to providing different views. The explorer, also known as a probe, is the hooked instrument used to scrape tartar off teeth. We also use the explorer to test the hardness of tooth enamel and to clean debris out of the gum pockets.
When patients have tooth decay, there are several tools we use to provide fillings. Modern dental drills emit a stream of water to prevent heat damage. We mix white resin composite material on a small spatula and place it on the cavity using an instrument called a burnisher. A burnisher is a metal instrument with a blunt end, and they come in many shapes for contouring fillings. If a tooth ever needs to be removed, we rock it back and forth with a small, flat spoon called an elevator to loosen it before removing it with reverse-action forceps.
David Bishop, DDS, Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, DDS, and Alicia Reynolds, DDS, operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8757 Georgia Ave, Suite 810, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out a contact sheet.