One-piece Operative Carbides

A More Robust Cutting Tool That Resists Breakage

BY JOSEPH FEY, PRESIDENT & CO-OWNER OF MAVERICK DENTAL, LLC

Caught between an important family commitment at the end of the day and the reality that you are running half an hour behind, it just makes sense to focus, push through, and catch up. Your last patient has a large, failing restoration to replace and suddenly, halfway through, the business end of your 557 is gone – separated from the shank–and there’s no telling where it went. You bet it’s frustrating, maddening, and a touch worrisome as you conclude it disappeared with the suction. How many times has this happened?

Hayes now offers Maverick’s ONE-PIECE OPERATIVE CARBIDES made from a monolithic piece of carbide. The manufacturing process starts with a blank of carbide that is ground into a cutting tool – shank, neck and cutting head are all part of this monolithic blank. This produces a substantially more robust cutting tool that is highly resistant to breakage. This innovation—coupled with enhanced blade geometry—greatly strengthens the performance of these carbide burs. 

Substantial testing has been performed to refine the tooth geometry that balances the highest cutting efficiency possible with substantially reduced vibrational chatter. Most operative dental carbide burs are created with a two-piece manufacturing process. Since carbide is expensive, manufacturing costs are cut by using a smaller amount of carbide for the cutting head and then welding or soldering that head to a steel shank. The inherent design flaw in the two-piece product results in breakage when too much force is applied and the bur is placed under too much unsustainable pressure.

Whatever your bur of choice (330, 557, 701, 1157) as the workhorse operative carbide in your practice, consider upgrading to a premium, one-piece carbide available at the same price you would pay for inferior two-piece carbides.