You may already know the importance of burrs if you use rotary cutting instruments more often, especially those with bladed, sharp cutting heads. Many industries make use of burrs for cutting and finishing purposes. The dental industry is not an exception, though.
In the manufacturing sectors, the use of burrs is indispensable for deburring both soft and hard materials, such as steel, wood, ceramic, plastic, etc. On the other hand, burrs are useful in the dental industry as well, for example, for giving the final shape or doing some minor detailing during dental restorations.
So, the question is – are dental burrs and industrial burrs the same? Or do they have notable differences placing them apart? Let’s find out!
What Are Dental Burrs?
You may hear a unique whirling sound in almost all dental clinics that deal with dental treatments. That sound results from a rotary carbide burr. Among different dentistry equipment, dentists make use of tungsten carbide burrs more frequently. It is an essential tool to perform various everyday dental tasks such as bridge & crown preparation.
The dental burrs are very useful for cutting and preparing hard tissues, such as tooth or bone. Dental specialists must have a ready stock of dental burrs, just like other dentistry tools. They must make sure that the burrs they use are of high-quality. Quality dental burr can help dentistry surgeons accomplish the task efficiently.
Among many other types of dental burrs, dentists prefer to use diamond-tipped and tungsten carbide burrs for their excellent precision and control.
What Are Industrial Burrs?
Industrial burrs are designed to serve the manufacturing sector. These burrs are slightly different from dental burrs. Industrial burrs can withstand the most difficult, demanding, and complex production runs. The hardness and more robust formulation of tungsten carbide allows these burrs to perform intricate tasks seamlessly.
These are small tools used by manufacturers and fabricators for various operations, including stock removal, cutting, shaping, grinding, drilling, etc. Among all industrial burrs, tungsten carbide burr is the toughest one. It can work at high-speed to achieve precisely cut edges.
Differences Between Dental Burrs and Industrial Burrs
There’s a broad assortment of dental and industrial burrs on the market. So, it can easily confuse anyone to make a difference between these two. Well, note that both these burrs serve different purposes and different industries. Even if they look similar and operate on the same work mechanism, both can have different functionality, efficiency, and durability.
Below are some crucial points that separate dental burrs from industrial ones.
1. Shapes
Both industrial and dental burrs are available in different shapes. Typically, all burrs are formed in three parts – head, neck, and shank. In dental burrs, you will find three basic shank designs – straight shank, latch type shank, and fiction grip shank. Moreover, a dental catalog can comprise of many different dental burrs.
Dental Burrs Shapes:
All dental burrs are available in a broad range of shapes, each having certain benefits to serve a specific purpose. No matter what quality of material you use, you must pair the equipment with the right shape of burr. Here we will discuss the most common shapes available in dental burrs.
- Round Dental Burrs: Also known as round head burrs, these are mainly used during dental extraction. Round shape burrs are useful for making access points, cavity preparation, and many other basic dental tasks. As for the size, this shape is available in the range of 1/4 to 9.
- Pear Dental Burrs: Unlike inverted cones, pear-shaped burrs have a round edge. Dentists prefer to use this shape to form an undercut for holding the filler materials.
- Cross-Cut Dental Burrs: Dentists prefer to use cross-cut tapered fissure burrs to carry out various tasks, such as reducing the crown height, sectioning teeth, etc. These burrs are incredibly effective at cutting jobs. They produce significantly less debris.
Industrial Burrs Shapes
Due to their vast applications, industrial burrs are available in many different shapes. So, you will find a variety of shapes depending on the cut or contour you want to achieve. Some common shapes include cylindrical, inverted cone, pointed cone, ball, tree, etc. You can read more about these shapes here.
2. Applications
Tungsten carbide burrs are incredibly sturdy. The strength and hard-wearing qualities of these burrs make them ideal in various applications. Furthermore, carbide burrs’ accessibility in various grades makes them suitable for different industrial and dental applications.
Dental Burrs Applications
Dental burrs have transformed the dentistry arena to a great extent. These burrs are typically made of either stainless steel or tungsten carbide. The head portion of these burrs consists of sharp blades. Once you fit these burrs to the dental drill and initiate the rotary motion, these blades can provide cutting action.
Besides, you can set the position of blades at varying angles to change the burr’s properties. The core applications of dental burrs include:
- Cutting Hard Tissues
- Cavity Preparation
- Finishing Restorations
Industrial Burrs Applications
Industrial burrs are mostly used by manufacturers to carry out many different tasks, such as welding, cutting, or shaping. The use of industrial burrs is common in model engineering and fabrication projects. These burrs usually perform well on soft, hard, metal, and non-metal materials. Therefore, their range of applications is so widespread.
Industrial burrs can enhance the quality and efficiency of material greatly. Therefore, many industries make use of industrial burrs for deburring applications. Deburring is nothing but a finishing process applied in industrial and production environments.
Uses of Industrial Burrs
Industrial burrs are the most commonly used cutting tools. They typically have many closely-aligned cutting points. Depending on the burr type, the applications of industrial burrs can include:
- Heavy stock removal
- Deburring
- Jewelry making
- Milling
- Finishing
- Cleaning
You can connect industrial burrs to a rotary cutting tool. It is a typical handy power tool with a provision to connect different attachments and bits. As a result, you can use it for additional tasks, such as polishing, sanding, welding, carving, and many more. However, for good results, make sure you select the right burr type to perform a specific task. Moreover, you should also ensure that the size and shape of the industrial burr you choose match the cutting tool.
Uses of Dental Burrs
The use of dental burrs is not limited to merely cutting the hard tissues like bone or tooth. Dentists make use of burrs for various purposes. Dental burrs are helpful to bore through tooth enamel. Moreover, these burrs are also useful for cleaning and eliminating plaque from the tooth’s exterior.
There can be many uses of dental burrs.
- Cutting through enamel
- Taking out old fillings
- Fixing cavities for fillings
- Adjusting filler items
- Polishing
- Eliminating dentin
- Lessening crown height
As you can see, dental burrs can help dentists accomplish many different tasks. However, the type of dental burr can have a significant effect on overall performance. An ideal dental burr is the one that produces less chattering and fewer vibrations while in use. It gives a smoother surface and high-end finishing.
Final Thoughts!
So, that’s all about dental and industrial burrs. Now you know the core differences between these two. The shape, size, performance, RPM, and other technical details of both burrs can vary greatly.
Make sure you choose the correct type of burr for your orthodontic or dental practice. The same applies to industrial burrs as well.
Note that tungsten carbide burrs can be more robust and versatile than any other burrs. If you expect high-quality performance, versatility, and durability, you can go for tungsten carbide burrs. You can also browse through different types of tungsten carbide burrs available at FitCarbide and choose the one that best fits your requirements.