Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 19:52:37 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"] I'll give the old kit a good sharpening and overhaul and see if anything is salvageable. Half of it is ready for the bin [/quote]

Even if you think it's no good, don't bin it. Send it to these people.

https://www.dentaid.org/our-workshop/

They may be able to refurbish it, and if they can't they may get scrap value.

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 00:29:46 GMT

Evelyn, I've ordered from IM3:

The 14 piece set with the stubby handles (5X winged elevators and a root pick)

https://www.im3vet.co.uk/14-piece-instrument-set-stubby-handles

The Luxator set

https://www.im3vet.co.uk/5pc-luxator-set-1-5mm-in-black-pouch-stubby-hand

The small extraction forceps to go with the standard ones in the 14 pc kit

https://www.im3vet.co.uk/extraction-forceps-fine

I thought if I got winged elevators then we can easily tell them apart from the luxators. See how we get on. A selection of other instruments with the 14pc kit.

Sadly these will be used by 4 vets.

I appreciate your time. I'll give the old kit a good sharpening and overhaul and see if anything is salvageable. Half of it is ready for the bin

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 20:43:38 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]As an aside, has anybody tried IM3's power-driven periotome?[/quote]

I thought it was a nice idea, but on seeing the demonstration vid and the recommended mode of use, I wasn't so sure. And then the price just slightly outweighed my addiction to buying new dental stuff

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 20:32:18 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]I find banging their head against a wall doesn't always work[/quote]

One of the many advantages of being single-handed is that no-one else can use your instruments!

[quote user="robloxley"] so the v-shaped sectioning much better?[/quote]

Yes! Absolutely! Always!

[quote user="GrooveJet"]And a good, sharp gingival elevator.[/quote]

Oh, yes, I forgot that. A periosteal elevator. Or, better, two, which will give you four different size tips and cover everything from big dog down to little cat.

So we should really add, kit for suturing gingiva. Little needle holders – Castroviejo traditional, but Silcocks somewhat solider and easier to get round funny angles, or my personal preference some miniature Foster-Gillies with tungsten carbide tips, if you can get them. Lagrange scissors, or any small very sharp ones with pointy blades. Small grasping forceps – I find an ophthalmic kind (can't remember its name) that grasps a comparatively broad section with little teeth very handy – you might like some tiny rat-tooths (Adsons?) as well. And some miniature suture scissors Littauer pattern, which must be of good quality. (In fact everything for gingival surgery needs to be the best quality you can get). Remember you are only using 6/0 material, or maybe 5/0 in some cases.

Of course you don't have to reserve this kit for dentistry, but keep it separate from other instruments and if in a multi-man practice beware of other people abusing it. And make sure the nurses understand they have to handle it very carefully when cleaning and sterilising – I was not too pleased when my brand new Lagrange scissors, used once only, had a tip broken off by careless handling.

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Rob Loxley — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 00:02:44 GMT

[quote user="Lucy Fleming"] I like them, apart from the fact that someone has bent the tip of the smallest one slightly [/quote]

I find banging their head against a wall doesn't always work - just more broken teeth!
In seriousness, just replace the bent elevator - I managed to bend the tip of the little IM3 luxator the other day (my bad) but it wasn't too expensive to replace.

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Miriam Lodewyks — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:38:58 GMT

Wot Evelyn says...

Most important is having a good variety of different sizes of elevators/luxators to get around the different shapes and sizes of periodontal spaces, and that fit comfortably in your hand palm.

And a good, sharp gingival elevator.

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Rob Davis — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:29:49 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]Looking at the picture on the website you link, isn't this how you would 'normally' section a premolar tooth. [/quote]

I see what you mean (I hadn't previously looked at that picture). I normally amputate as apically as possible - the idea is to remove the enamel bulge which should allow better access to the periodontal ligament - so I generally amputate pretty much level with the alveolar bone. I tend to amputate single rooted teeth too as I find it gives much better visibility and access.

[quote user="robloxley"] I find with sectioning the tooth straight down the middle (like the pictures in the John Robinson little blue book), it's hard to get the luxator down without fracturing the protruding halves of crown, so the v-shaped sectioning much better?[/quote]

Quite - one of the reasons I like crown amputations is the reduction in the risk of fracturing the tooth.

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Lucy Fleming — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:09:58 GMT

We have a set of six stubby handled winged elevators from Kruuse. I like them, apart from the fact that someone has bent the tip of the smallest one slightly

I'm pretty sure it is these ones
https://www.kruuse.com/en/ecom/Dentaludstyr/Tandinstrumenter/Instrumentset_dental/prod_282356.aspx

If you are going near any congress type events that are flogging them it's worth actually picking a few different ones up and seeing what type of handle suits best (tricky ask in a multi-vet practice, of couse)

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Rob Loxley — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:54:01 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]My personal preference is the Extractor from Accesia. These are designed to be used following crown amputation which I tend to do before most extractions, though some people are uncomfortable with this concept[/quote]

Looking at the picture on the website you link, isn't this how you would 'normally' section a premolar tooth. I find with sectioning the tooth straight down the middle (like the pictures in the John Robinson little blue book), it's hard to get the luxator down without fracturing the protruding halves of crown, so the v-shaped sectioning much better?

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Rob Davis — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:21:49 GMT

Can't disagree with anything Evelyn said.

I do have a slight problem with feeling the need to keep buying dental instruments, so I have tried most! My personal preference is the Extractor from Accesia. These are designed to be used following crown amputation which I tend to do before most extractions, though some people are uncomfortable with this concept. They are sharpened on the convex surface which requires also purchasing their (rather expensive!) sharpening stone. They are intended to be a cross between an elevator and a luxator and I rarely use anything else.

As an aside, has anybody tried IM3's power-driven periotome?

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Kate Richardson — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:48:20 GMT

The IM3 feline dental kit is really good and not horribly expensive either

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Bob Russell — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:22:47 GMT

I have IM3 elevators and luxators, clearly marked as to which set is which in case I am having a bad day and it makes it easy for those cleaning and sterilising them.

I have long since accepted they don't last forever and keep the older ones where a little less finesse is in order!

RE: Ideal Dentistry Kit (hand instruments)

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 01:29:49 GMT

Michael, what a question to ask at 11.38 p.m. just as I'm trying to get ready for a hideously early start and two days away.

There's a small problem in that a lot of the choice is personal preference (some people love wings, I hate them). However, here goes.

A set of iM3 luxators is essential. I think they come winged as well as non-winged, not sure.

Or, a set of Dentonomic luxators. These are the ones with the working bit detachable from the handle, very useful.

A set of Vet Instrumentation stubby elevators as well (they come winged and not winged, you pays yer money and takes yer choice).

A set of Fahrenkrug elevators for canine teeth including deciduous.

A root tip pick. If you don't have one, one day you will wish you had.

Extraction forceps: the smallest you can find. The dealers often call these "small breed forceps" or some such – this is nonsense, they are big enough for anything. Many you see are much too big (they are all just relabelled human ones anyway). You don't need fancy angles; just a small angulation on the jaws.. Make sure the tips do not quite meet when the jaws are closed. With a spring.

Steiglitz forceps can be useful for small broken roots and the like, although not as useful as you might think.

If you've got some horrible old massive forceps in the drawer, don't throw them away. They are useful for crushing off monstrous masses of calculus.

An explorer/ probe or "epro" (explorer one end, graduated probe the other).

"Tartar scrapers" are completely unnecessary nowadays, but I keep one, deliberately slightly blunt, for picking off the larger bits of calculus and those that don't come instantly with the ultrasonic scaler.

And, assuming you wish to treat properly those teeth you don't extract, some periodontal curettes. Start with a 1/2 configuration (practically straight) and buy more (weird angles) as you find the need.