This document describes various dental instruments used for amalgam fillings. It lists and defines mirrors, probes, tweezers, mortar and pestle, amalgam guns, matrices, wedges, condensers, burnishers, carvers and other tools. It explains their purposes in examining teeth, preparing cavities, applying linings and matrices, mixing amalgam, condensing the filling, carving and finishing the restoration. Various cavity types and materials like GIC, calcium hydroxide and amalgam alloy+mercury are also defined. Key steps in the amalgam filling process like examination, cavity preparation, lining, mixing, condensation and carving are summarized.

1. INTRODUCTION OF
DENTAL INSTRUMENTS
USED IN AMALGAM
FILLING

2. Dental Mirror:-
• Used for indirect vision.
• To hold retract your tongue, lips or cheeks.
• Tendor to perkashan (TTP).
• From the back portion of the mirror we check tht tooth is realy
fractured or not.
• We wil strike the back portion of the mirror to the patient’s tooth
if patient wil blink his/her eye it means tht it is painful and it is
fractured.

3. Tweezer:-
•To hold cotton roll.
• To hold different material.
• To transfer any material in and out of cavity.
Probe:- (Explorer)
• It is sickle shaped.
• Used to detect the tooth decay.
• To check bifurcation & furcation. Furcation
mean branches.
• To check the carious region.
If we apply probe on tooth and if it move smoothly
on surface so it means there is no carious region,
there is only stain so we wil not cavity prep and
filling.

4. Mortar & Pistile:-
Mortar is thick like a bowl and pistele is
thin like a pencil.
• Used to mix the alloy powder
and mercury to make a
homogenous mixture.
Amalgam Gun:- (carier)
Gun shaped.
• Used to carry amalgam and
dispense the amalgam in
cavity.
OR

5. Cement Spatula:-
• Used for mixing.
Tofflemire matrix band
retainer:-
• Used to hold the matrix band.
• To maintain stability of matrix
• band during condensation of
• restorations
Parts Of Tofflemire Matrix Band
Retainer:-
 Adjusting Nut
 Locking Nut used for tight.
 Retaining screw
 Two slots
 Head (u-shaped)
 Vise (box shaped)
Locking
Nut
Adjusting
Nut
Slots
Head
Vise
Retaining
Screw

6. Matrix Band:-
It has a concave surface (upward) & one convex
(downward). The conxity of matrix band should
put up on the occlusal surface.
• Used to support the wall of class II.
• To replace missing proximal walls of
• cavity preparation for condensation
• of restorative material
Wooden Wedge:-
Pointed sharp part should be apply b/w the
teeth.
• Used to tight the matrix band.
• Used to comress the gingiva.
• used to separate the very tight band.
• To hold matrix band in place
• along gingival margin of class II.
Wooden wedge absorb saliva then they expand
and fill the space b/w tooth, and it has low
strength as compared to plastic wedge.
Matrix bands

7. Condenser:-
• Used to condense the amalgam.
• Used for packing the amalgam
into cavity.
Burnisher:-
One end of burnisher is egg type shaped &
other end is T-shaped.
• Used for burnishing.

8. Excavator:-
Spoon shaped.
• To remove temporary fillings.
• To remove soft caries or dentine.
• Scoope out/excavate soft
dentine.
Dycal Applicator:-
Small ball shaped at the tip of it.
• Used for application of lining.
Carver:-
1-Fraham’s Carver:
kite shaped.

9. 2-Ward’s Carver:-
Pointed, sharp edges.
• Both carver is used to
remove the excessive
material.
• To produce the normal
tooth anatomy.
Plastic Instrument:-
Hockey shaped.
• Used for application of
composites.
• To carry composite
material for
• cavity preparation, and
shape
• composite,

10. Micro Brush:-
Small plastic instrument with small
fiber bristled head.
• Use to apply primer, dentine
bond, enamel bond, sealants.
Mylar strips:-
Straight strips same as matrix band.
• Thin clear strip used to
isolate cavity prep.
• Able to use cure light b/c it
is plastic strip.

11. Curing Light:-
Material must be cured in
increments of 2 mm or less, need to
be above 300 wavelength.
• To harden light-cure materials,
bonding, composites, sealants,
cements, build up.
Bonding Agents:-
Differs in generation, all in one
unit, 3 step, 2 step, brands require
different techniques
• Acts as an adhesive between the
tooth and the composite material.

12. Etch:-
White syringe in which blue gel type
material is filled.
• To remove smear layer and prepare
tooth for bonding.
Dycal (Calcium Hydroxide
Composition):-
A base and catalyst paste, mixes
together to form a tan paste, self
sets. 1:1 ratio mix .
• Used for indirect pulp cap,
protective liner for deep cavities .

13. Packable Composite:-
Different grits: coarse to extra- fine;
various sizes; snap-on (with metal
center) or screw-on
•To contour (coarse grit) or
polish and smooth (extra-fine
grit) restorative material.
Polishing Disc :-
Either in a syringe or composite tip.
Composite tip requires composite
gun.
• Low viscosity.
• High filler.
• Used as permanent
restorative material.

14. GIC Powder and Liquid

15. Alloy Powder
Mercury Dispenser
Amalgam Alloy powder + Mercury

16. Varnish
Function:-
 It prevent microleakage.
 when marginal seals break it can cause
secondary caries so varnish is applied.
 GIC is soluble so varnish prevent water
contemination.

17. Alginate Spatulla
Used for mixing alginate.

18. Wax Knife
Used for cutting excessive wax.
Wax Carver
Used for carving wax.

19. Plaster Spatula
Used for mixing gypsum and plaster
products.

20. Cavity Conditioner
Work similar as etch, use to
prepare the tooth for glass ionomer
restoration.

21. Flowable Composite
Low viscosity, use in small areas and
before the placement of packable
composite.

22. Plaster Knife
Use for cutting extra plaster.

23. Manipulative Variables Of Amalgam Filling:-
 Examination
 Cavity prep
 Application of matrix band
 Lining
 Trituration/mixing
 Dispensing of amalgam
 Condensation
 Pre-carve burnishing
 Carving
 Post-carve burnishing
 Finishing
 Polishing

24. Some Terms Are Defined Here
1. Mesio-Occlus0-Disatl (MOD) caries on mesial
& distal surface of class-II and on occlusal surface of
class I.
2. Compound Caries on 2 surfaces.
3. Complex Caries on 3 surfaces.

25. MANIPULATION Of Amalgam
1- Examination:-
Before making cavity in patients mouth, we will examine the patient by
examination instruments that is there any carious region or only stained area.
Examination instruments are: dental mirror, probe/explorer, tweezer.
We will use probe to check the caries. If probe moves smoothly on the surface
of tooth so it means there is no caries only stained area is there but if probe
moves roughly on the surface of tooth it means there is caries and then we will
cavity prep.
2- Application Of Matrix band:-
Fix the matrix band into tofflimire matrix band retainer .
3- cavity Prep:-
Cavity is prepared on the patient’s tooth where carious region is present. Cavity
can be of many types i.e. class-I cavity, class-II cavity, class-III, class-IV, class-V.
the depth of the cavity is normally 1.5 but mostly it depends on caries. Hand
piece is an instrument which is used for cavity prep.

26. 4- Lining:-
Lining is done before amalgam filling to protect the pulp b/c amlgam can
cause microleakage. It can harm the pulp. Most commonly GIC powder &
liquid is used for lining but some time calcium hydroxide is also used.
GIC powder & liquid is taken on a glass slab with cement spatula to make a
mixture of it for lining. It is applied in cavity for lining by using dycal
applicator.
Note:-always mix powder in liquid.
5- Mixing / Trituration:-
After lining alloy powder & mercury is mixed. Take alloy powder & mercury in mortar
and mix it with pestle to make a homogenous mixture. Carry amlgam with amalgam
gun and dispense it in cavity for filling.
6- Dispensing Of Amalgam:-
7- Condensation:-
After applying or dispensing amlgam into cavity, we have to pack amalgam
properly into cavity with the help of condensor.

27. 8- Pre-carve Burnishing:-
Pre-carve burnishing is done to bring excessive mercury on surface.
9- Carving:-
To remove excessive material with carver and also carving is done to
reproduce normal tooth anatomy.
10- Post-carve Burnishing:-
It is done to smoothen the surface and finish the surface and to give shine the
surface with the help of burnisher.
11- Finishing:-
By smoothing the surface and removing excess material.
12- Polishing:-
Polishing done by polishing discs.

28. Instruments Used For Cavity Prep:-
1) High speed hand piece
2) Probe
3) Bur
1)
2)
3)

29. Examination Instruments:-
1) Probe(explorer)
2) Tweezer
3) Mouth mirror
1)
2)
3)

30. Instruments used In Amalgam Filling:-
1) Tofflemire matrix band retainer
2) Matrix Band
3) Mortar & pistile
4) Amalgam gun
5) Cement spatula
6) excavator
7) Dycal applicator
8) Fraham’s carver
9) ward’s carver
10) Burnisher
11) Condenser
12) wooden wedge
13) plastic instrument
14) Alloy
15) Mercury
16) GICpowder & liquid for lining
17) Plastic instrument.

31. Instruments Used In Composite Filling:-
1) packable composite
2) Polishing disc
3) Micro brush
4) Mylar strips
5) Curing light
6) Bonding agent
7) Etch
8) Dycal (base & crystal)

32. Class I Cavity

33. Class II Cavity

34. Class III Cavity
Class V Cavity

35. Class IV Cavity

36. Die Stone
Dental stone
(Yellow Colour)
Dental plaster
(white Colored)
Peech Colour
Flourescent Yellow